Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

LIFE MOVES ONLYIN ONE DIRECTIONFORWARD A large number of people in the country feel that they are being slapped around, body slammed to the ground and stomped on by the PPP. It is nauseating to the readers of this and other newspapers that the PPP is opposed to almost everything this government does.

However, the newspapers cannot be blamed for carrying such headlines; it is their job as the Fourth Estate to inform the public. They just cannot offer snit bits of the issues. After 15 years of arrogance, abrasiveness, massive corruption, and contempt for the people, the leader of the PPP has suddenly become the mouthpiece of the masses.

His belief that he has captured the righteous indignation of the average citizen with his propaganda, distortions and untruths is absurd.

His selfish behaviour and lust for political power has led to massive corruption and immorality in governance.

How else can the people explain the total disrespect of Parliament and the people?

Making matters worse was the ill-informed statement that the PPP did not lose the election. One may conclude that this denial is simply a manifestation of the first step on the way to eventual acceptance of the loss of political power. And to further compound such insanity is the ridiculous claim that the election was rigged.

Many supporters of the PPP are ashamed of the silly utterances of their leaders. It is time for them to come to terms with the loss of office and accept that people wanted a change from their type of corrupt politics.

This government is striving to regain the trust and confidence of the people and move the country forward.

Whining would be anathema to gaining the people’s trust and confidence. The PPP is down and out and the government would do well not to take a page out of its playbook. It has to adopt a more positive attitude than currently prevails and steer the ship of State and prove its worth for the benefit of all.

Unlike other CARICOM states, Guyanese cannot boast of a long and cherished tradition of seamless transitions of power from one government to the next in the postindependence era. The 2015 General Election is over and done. The die has already been cast, the results are in and according to GECOM, the PPP has lost the elections. The people have spoken. What is done cannot be undone. But the PPP has found legal loopholes and technicalities to challenge the elections and frustrate the will of the people.

The government, on the other hand, has risen to the occasion and has become an exemplar. It has demonstrated gravitas and has shown true statesmanship with dignity and without reservation. It has done the honorable thing and has moved on with unconquered spirits.

In his essay, “The Moving Finger” the late 11th century poet and philosopher Omar Khayyám wrote: In all Piety or wit, time shall not lure back. For the sake of clarity, the “moving finger” is a metaphor that depicts “fate” or the invisible “Hand of God” indelibly recording history in the traceless sands of time.

The most important lesson here for the PPP is that once the moment is past, it is gone forever. And no matter how one may regret having done or not done something or wish that they could go back in time and change it or do it differently, there is absolutely no way to rewrite history, regardless of one’s prayers, guile or ill-advised legal challenge, for life moves only in one direction-forward.

Dr. David Hinds confronts the mythical context of state violence DEAR EDITOR, My critique of state violence against citizens since Independence, including those who oppose the government has understandably enraged opinion on both sides of our ethno-political divide.

The two opinions have one thing in common-they both contend that the state under their party’s watch was reacting to violence perpetrated against the State. That line is not new; these proponents may not realise that they are in fine company.

The Plantocracy said that the 1763 Rebellion and the 1823 Revolt were violence against the state. In both instances, they proceeded to execute the “bad boys” in gruesome fashion.

Rodney, Koama, Waddell, Crum Ewing and others were bad boys and girls like Accabreh and Quamina and were executed in similarly gruesome fashion. The Colonial Masters referred to the 1930s Uprisings, which struck the final blows for Anglophone Caribbean Independence, as violence against the State. The Colonial State in Guyana suspended the constitution in 1953 and accused Burnham and Jagan of, among other things, fomenting violence

against the State. The French Colonials, in the wake of the Haitian Revolution, exacted over $30 billion from the Haitians for violence against the State.

People have risen up against State and Government excesses from the time “Noah was in short pants.” That human right is enshrined in some constitutions.

Some call it a God-given right.

Others call it Resistance. One may disagree with the method of resistance, but equating State Violence with the resistance it engenders can only be put down to political posturing and/or maybe ignorance of the nature of States.

We are in the presence of cherrypicking which State Violence to condemn—PPP diehards condemn PNC State Violence and PNC diehards condemn PPP State Violence. Both sides deny there was State violence under their party.

That’s why Guyana’s politics is so messed up. But some of us have the satisfaction of knowing that we pushed back against Government Overreach and State Violence under the PNC and the PPP and will do so again if this current government walks that road. In fact, we are not waiting for the State to

strike; we are urging vigilance now.

When you go through that experience of standing up to all State Violence, your conscience is clear because you know that that scourge cuts across party and ethnicity.

Up till May 15, the WPA, to which I belong, did not have any control of the State—that is, they were not part of government. They now are.

And if this government engages in violence against opponents and the citizenry at large, they, the WPA, would have to bear responsibility and they will have to contend with the voice of this member. In the meantime, I continue to appeal to government and the country as a whole to stand against State Violence.

Let me end with this. We have to critique the tactics and approaches used by opposition forces in their resistance to Government and State excesses over the years. I will have a lot to say when that time comes.

But I will never excuse State Violence by making the argument that the State resorted to violence because the opposition and the people rose up against their excesses.

David Hinds

Hamilton Green gives his take on Rodney’s politics and death DEAR EDITOR, I read the gravamen of this purported Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry, as contained in this report, it is damming, but a sad and sorry paragraph as quoted: “Mr. Laurie Lewis, then Head of Special Branch and later Commissioner of Police is dead. We find, however, that there is prima facie evidence that he, along with Major General, Normal Mc Lean (Ret’d), then Chief of Staff of the GDF and Mr. Cecil ‘Skip’ Roberts, the Deputy Commissioner of Police and Crime chief, had significant roles to play in the conspiracy to kill Dr. Walter Rodney and the subsequent attempt to conceal the circumstances surrounding his death.”

It will take volumes to reply to the above absurdity. From the outset, hours after Walter Rodney’s death, the Burnham Administration was publicly condemned by the Chairman of the COI, SIR RICHARD l.

CHELTENHAM. It is clear that the identification by the PPP Administration was deliberate and part of a conspiracy to damn Burnham and the competent, professionally driven Security Officers.

For brevity, I merely give one example. ‘The Commission makes gospel the (recollections) by a Mr. Gates who they took out of jail. Mr. Gates was not in prison for a minor traffic offence, but for his known cleavage to criminality.

Yet, this Commission dispended sums of money to bring from overseas, Cecil ‘Skip’ Roberts to give evidence. Skip Roberts was in Guyana for several weeks, ready and available,

but was never called to come before the Commission, but returned since it was clear the Commissioners, even though spending funds on travel and accommodation for Mr. Roberts, had no interest in bringing to the witness stand, people of integrity.

The Commission spent hours listening to the likes of Joe Hamilton and other second and third hand witnesses, but these persons, who enjoyed the limelight briefly, what did they witness? Did any of them help to tell us what sort of device Walter Rodney had? From the beginning, we heard it was a walkie talkie, but a walkie talkie don’t explode.

Did the Commission seek to find out who ordered this device or walkie talkie?

And more importantly, what caused the explosion or detonation of this device.

It must be also noted that this Commission was granted several extensions which contributed to the woeful waste of millions. Recall, that after Rodney was expelled from the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, no less a person than the internationally respected Julius Nyerere analysis was that Rodney was frustrated in his efforts to climb the political ladder by words, but had opted for the route of violence.

Citizens must ask why did the Commission of Inquiry did not seek information and make connections with Rodney’s state of mind, when two of his Lieutenants Mohinee and Dublin were cornered in the backlands of Ruimveldt by a Police detailed, led by Sergeant David Payne, after they had acquired assault rifles from an unknown source

or whether there was any connection between another set of Rodney’s Lieutenants, allegedly responsible for the burning down of the building of the National Development.

Did the Commission of Inquiry seek some explanation why Walter Rodney, after leaving a meeting of the WPA Officials, journeyed to Charlestown to collect this device from Mr. Gregory Smith? He did not seek the companionship of any of his top WPA officials, but took along his blood brother who was not known as a WPA or political activist.

Why did the Rodney’s identify a spot outside the prison walls? It will be interesting to have this simple question answered. Gregory Smith’s account of the events leading up to that tragic accident is crystal clear and recalled that Rodney as part of the grand design for revolution had infiltrated sections of the Army and Police Force. Was Gregory Smith one of Rodney’s recruits or coconspirators in a grand design to cause mayhem, and to destabilize a Government led by a person he describes at public meetings as King Kong?

This multi-million Commission of Inquiry, even when completed, was not presented to the Head of State at the appointed place and time, because the learned gentleman did not have ink to print the report. I remembered an old Kaiso ‘You hear lie, that is lie’, yet one newspaper was able to carry details of the report, before it was handed over to the President.

I have held my peace all this time, but since this report sets out to dam (Continued on page 23)

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Kaieteur News

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Ugly incident in Constituency PPP Parliamentarian is 8 in South Georgetown a victim of group think

DEAR MR. EDITOR, Please allow me some column space in your letters section to speak about an issue of great importance during these historical local government elections in Guyana.

All over this nation election fever is catching on, with the first local government elections, since 1994. The enthusiasm of those running for office is as bright as the sun and the nation is abuzz as we set to overthrow old local regimes and install new ones via the ballot box.

Unfortunately Mr. Editor, there remains in Guyana some very ugly attitudes. As a student of political science

it is painful to hear folks highlight that we are a democracy yet the de facto attitude is that of a one party system.

Recently, I volunteered to put up posters for a candidate in Georgetown’s Constituency 8 (Stabroek/Werk-en-Rust/ Wort-man-ville). We spent several hours putting up these posters over several days. To our dismay our posters and other campaign material have been torn down from the lamp posts in some parts of our constituency. It appears that someone is of the opinion that they either own the Guyana Political & Light (GPL) poles or that we cannot campaign here. These posters

DEAR EDITOR, I learnt with much grief about the death of Police Sergeant 16934 Leonard La Rose.

Both Kaieteur News and Stabroek News March 2, 2016 carried stories about his death. Yes, he was murdered at Mathews Ridge. Two of his subordinates were wounded and the assailant shot in the leg. News of this irreparable loss struck me like a bolt from the blue. I believe that all those who knew Leonard are equally perturbed.

I first came into contact with La Rose when he was enlisted in the Guyana Police Force as a constable. We thereafter developed and maintained a strong friendship until his death. He displayed excellent interpersonal skills and worked well with his superiors, peers, subordinates and members of the public.

When I was the police commander in charge of E and F Division he worked under my command at Orinduik Police Station on the Guyana / Brazil border. I vividly recalled an occasion when he was ill.

There was no medical facility at that location. La Rose was able to influence his Brazalian counterparts on the opposite side of the border to assist. They provided a helicopter to fly him to a town in Brazil where he received medi-

cal attention. He spent two days there and the chopper flew him back to Orinduik.

After that I nicked name him the Sheriff. From then until his death he was my Sheriff. He had clean hands, warm heart, a cool head and a passion for the job. That was the manner of man Leonard La Rose was.

To his bereaved family, relatives, friends and the Guyana Police Force I extend my deepest sympathy in their moments of sorrow. I trust that by now the police would have activated the Benevolent Fund established by Commissioner Laurie Lewis, the Fallen Heroes Fund set up by Commissioner Seelall Persaud and the Government benefits set aside for members of the force killed in the line of duty.

The police should also assist the family with funeral arrangements, help them to complete paperwork required to receive benefits and provide continued support to the survivors.

Clinton Conway Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police

Eulogy for a great policeman

cost money to create and print and our labor (though volunteered) is priceless. So to return the next day to see your hard word destroyed is painful and disappointing.

Mr. Editor, I make no indictments of any political party or any of the contestants in these elections, but this illegal behavior must stop. Everyone has a constitutional right to seek elective office, barring any restrictions listed within the Constitution and the nation’s laws. However, some supporters of some candidates feel that the only way their candidate can win is by fear and not policy. On the national level we saw this sort of ugly, petty illegal behavior and it is sad that it has now managed to show up in the local government election. As stated this is not an indictment of any political party and its leadership, these acts seems that of overzealous supporters who wants their candidate to win. The actions of these people is not promoting democracy and nor is it helping their candidate win support and votes.

What it is doing, is harms to the democratic process of elections and destroys our nation. We should not be so rabidly blind in our support of our candidate, that we engage in vandalism in an attempt to help them win.

Finally, Mr. Editor, I call on all contesting parties in these historical and important local government elections (in Georgetown and around the nation) to denounce these acts committed in their name.

By denouncing these acts you are in no way admitting to guilt but clearly stating your party is operating above board and condemns these acts. If we speak as a collective in condemnation it is effective and our supporters would not feel emboldened to engage in illegal acts as a measure of support and loyalty.

Ty Talbot

DEAR EDITOR, After reading a letter penned by Mr Charles Ramson Jr. regarding his reasons for the deaths of the 17 prisoners last week, I wish to state that the learned Member of Parliament is somewhat oblivious to the facts that surround this entire unfortunate occurrence.

First, to even imply that overcrowding of the prison cells in the ‘Capital” section was not a major contributing factor to the incident, but rather, as he puts it, the perceived “softness” to the punishment of criminals by President Granger, because of the pardoning of prisoners, could be deemed as misguided at best.

First, Mr Ramson Jr., a lawyer by profession, ought to know that there are two things that are legally owed to any prisoner, natural justice (nemo iudex in causa sua), and the right to a fair and timely hearing (audi alteram partem). If found guilty, the subsequent punishment meted out to the offender must fit the crime.

From my research, the “Presidential Pardons” are not executed randomly, or whimsically-there are strict conditions that govern eligibility for the program.

For a prisoner to be eligible for early release, they must, among other conditions, be the perpetrators of no-violent crimes/misdemeanours, have a short time left on their sentences and be willing to enroll in a program post-release, which provides mentorship and skills training so as to make reintegration into the society, a less challenging undertaking. It behooves me therefore, that the learned MP can imply that there is some correlation between the conditional pardoning of young offenders, and the frustrations displayed by the prisoners who proceeded to cause the conflagration at the

Georgetown Prison. What the outstanding legal mind should have known is that the actual pardoning of minor offenders is a genuine attempt to reduce the problem of overcrowding of the prison.

Mr Ramson’s postulations seem to have been derived from a mind cemented in partisan party positions and as such, he was unable to extricate his thoughts from the hardened philosophy that prevents some of our politicians from embracing any idea that emanates from outside their narrow philosophical myopia.

The “psychological break in the minds of the prisoners” that Mr. Ramson speaks of, does not have its genesis in the policies of the last 9 months, but in a systematic and methodical approach to

treat inmates as lesser mortals seeking 5-star accommodation, when, according to the ideology of Mr. Ramson’s colleagues, they deserved to feed from the trough of swines, while resting their heads on pillows of excrement.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, to everything there is a season, a time to every purpose under the heavens-As Guyanese, we must understand that, to project a mature political disposition, there are times when nationalistic interests must trump political partisanship.

The death of 17 inmates and the need to improve the conditions for both the prisoners and the hardworking staff that manage our penal system, must be seen as issues that require national and bipartisan solutions.

Jeumayne Dummett

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Canadian Gold mining companies host Guyana Night in Canada

By Lindsay Davidson in Toronto

There was a high level of optimism Sunday evening in a full room of investors as senior executives of three Canadian gold mining companies in Guyana talked about their production, progress and the vast mining potential in Guyana.

They were meeting at a reception themed ‘Guyana Night‘at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) International Convention, Trade Show and Investors Exchange in Toronto.

Guyana Goldfields Chief Executive Officer, Scott Cadwell; Goldsource Mines Inc President, Ioannis Tsitos, and Rich Munson, Chief Executive Officer of Sandsprings ETK; were all upbeat and positive about gold mining prospects in Guyana as they made short presentations to the investors present.

“This is one of the top three (projects) that I‘ve ever had the privilege of working with. Number two is this one.

It is a sweet one with great deposit, great metallurgy, a great country and a great address to work in, the Guyana Goldfields CEO told the audience in referring to the company‘s Aurora mine.

He said that the mine cost the company US$250 million

Left, Clayton Hall, Technical Advisor to Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman, delivering remarks at the Guyana Night reception. CEO Scott Cadwell, Guyana Goldfields Administrative Manager Peter Benny and CSR Leon Roberts. (Photo by Akini Davidson) to build and was completed within scheduled timelines.

Before the end of last month commercial gold production stood at 60,000 ounces.

“We are shipping gold every week and we are cash flow positive and things are going pretty well,” he concluded.

Sandsprings Rich Munson said that Guyana is very fortunate to have two very strong projects in production with Guyana Goldfields and Troy Resources.

“It is very rare in this market to have two such high grade operations that are able to garner financing and provide such strong value to their shareholders and

Guyana,” he said Sandsprings is developing the Toroparu Gold Project in western Guyana, a four million-ounce reserve that is expected to produce 227 000 ounces of gold annually over a 16-year mine life.

Rich Munson, Sandsprings Chief Executive Officer said that the core of the deposit consists of high grade gold and high grade copper with significant potential for additional discoveries on the property.

“I think you can look at Toroparu and at Aurora (mines) and you`ll see there is going to be a lot of continuous activity and discoveries in Guyana.”

Goldsource Mines President, Ioannis Tsitos, reported that his company completed construction of its Eagle Mountain mine in January under budget and almost near schedule. It is now about to pour its first gold bar.

The plan, he said, is to grow this operation to produce about 29,000 ounces of gold in its fourth year of operation.

Tsitos said that in doing risk analysis globally prior to investing in the country, Guyana came out as one of the top three countries in South America for investment in mining for many years because it has an exceptionally friendly mining regime.

There are no serious environmental or social issues and people are very willing to engage and discuss project proposals.

“Guyana is a great place to do mining business and I‘d like to invite anybody to come and do business here, ‘‘ he said.

Earlier, Clayton Hall, Technical Advisor to Natural Resources Minister Rafael Trotman, said that Guyana is open for business and welcomes all investors in the mining industry provided they respect the country‘s laws and people and restore lands to maintain a “green land of Guyana.”

Hall is part of a five-person delegation from Guyana

led by Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, attending the PDAC convention which runs from March 6 to March 9 at the Convention Centre in Downtown Toronto.

The convention held annually is considered the world leader for people, companies and organizations in mineral exploration.

It attracts about 1,000 exhibitors and over 23,000 attendees from over 100 countries and Guyana‘s participation offers significant potential for increased investment in the mining industry.

Guyanese Canadian mining expert on Bay Street, Dr. Andrew Ramcharran, said that the attendance of a government delegation to this year’s PDAC convention is a good start in helping to expand Guyana’s mining ind u s try and suggests that next year government invests in establishing a booth at the Trade Show to promote the industry and give small miners more international exposure.

The ‘Guyana Night` reception was organized by Guyana Goldfields and attracted potential investors from several countries, Canadians and Toronto-based Guyanese.

Mother, son critical after struck by drag-racing taxi A mother and her teenage son are now battling for their lives in different hospitals after they were struck down by a speeding drunken driver on the Sea Well Public Road, East Coast Berbice aback of the Guyoil Gas station.

The accident occured around 20:00hrs on Sunday evening.

The two injured persons who were struck and hurled in a trench are Latchmin Armogan, called “Sharmila”, 45, a mother of five of Lot 97 Palmyra, East Coast Berbice and her son, Joshua Ramlakhan, called “Pawar”, 16. The woman is hospitalised in the Intensive Care Unit of the New Amsterdam Hospital with both of her arms broken and injuries to various parts of her body including her

- driver hides car head and belly.

Her son has been transferred to the Georgetown Hospital for emergency treatment he is suffering with injuries to various parts of his body.

According to information the woman a cleaner attached to the Rose hall Estate, had just left her home to collect her son who was with his brothers and some other villagers on a street not too far away.

According to one of the woman’s sons, Ganesh, 21, his mother had just collected his brother and was taking him home because he is not well and his mother would always have him in her sight.

He said that he saw two cars

dragging racing speeding around the Seawell turn.

One of the cars continued on the main road while the other a White Caldina Wagon HB 6144 which was overloaded at the time entered the side entrance towards the gas station. He said that he was about five feet away from his mother and sibling when the driver eventually lost control and broadsided his mother and brother and flung then into the trench. The men made a U turn and sped away towards Corentyne and hid the car in a Savannah at No.7 Village, not too far away.

Ganesh stated that he looked and did not see his mother and brother. He started to scream. Without taking a second thought he plunged into the dark trench and began searching for his loved ones who were both submerged. He found his mother

CRITICAL: Latchmin Armogan after a few minutes of searching and brought her out of the trench. Another brother Suraj, 19, and some others had also plunged into the trench. They were not having much luck in finding his brother who was stuck on his head in the mud

CRITICAL: Joshua Ramlakhan

under the water until they saw some splashing in the corner between some grass.

The splashing was coming from a big Snook which was caught in his brother pants foot. Feeling in that area the man was able to pull his brother out of the water. He was covered in mud. His brother’s belly was swollen and he had already swallowed a quantity of water.

They were both unconscious and were rushed to the New Amsterdam hospital.

The police were contacted and responded promptly. The car and the driver were subsequently found and taken into custody.

The driver was tested for alcohol and found to be way over the permitted limit.

The woman lost her husband some time ago and has been providing for her five sons. Relatives are calling for justice since they were being threatened by relatives of the perpetrators.

Charges are likely soon.

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Kaieteur News

Amid state dinner glamour, a serious agenda for Obama-Trudeau talks (Reuters) - Canada’s charismatic Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be travelling to Washington this week for talks with U.S. President Barack Obama, hoping to revitalise a frayed relationship and draw rare attention to Canadian issues.

Trudeau’s Liberals came to power in November by ousting the right-wing Conservative leader Stephen Harper, whose ties with Washington deteriorated as he hectored Obama in a failed bid to gain approval for a major Canada-U.S. pipeline.

Trudeau, who has basked in international media attention since coming to power and whose progressive politics are much more in tune with Obama’s, will attend a state dinner Thursday, becoming the first Canadian leader to do so since 1997.

“We want to strengthen our relationship with the United States at a time when it is key for our agenda of economic growth,” Foreign Minister Stephane Dion said in an interview on Monday.

Canada sends 75 percent of its exports to the United States. It is also the United States’ largest trading partner and biggest supplier of oil, but has found it hard to stand out.

“We’d sometimes like to think that Americans would pay attention to us from time to time,” Trudeau said in an interview with the CBS television show “60 Minutes” that aired on Sunday.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Barack Obama deliver remarks to reporters after their bilateral meeting alongside the APEC Summit in Manila, Philippines, November 19, 2015. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst) Trudeau will press his message on Thursday, holding talks with Obama, lunching with Secretary of State John Kerry and then attending the state dinner.

Canada wants to avoid a fresh trade fight over its softwood lumber exports, while the United States will reiterate long-standing concerns about how much information Ottawa shares on terror suspects, say officials involved with the talks.

The two sides are also set to sign a declaration committing to the fight against climate change, sources said.

“Canada’s not an issue that gets a lot of attention normally,” said a senior U.S. administration official.

“(But) I’d be hard-pressed to identify a relationship that’s more important day in, day out, and that affects more Americans day in, day out.”

Trudeau has a higher profile than any Canadian leader since his father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, was in power four decades ago.

The New York Times and Vogue magazine are among the U.S. outlets that have run sympathetic profiles about him.

Still, his visit may be overshadowed by the raucous race between Republican candidates vying to run for the White House. Thursday’s dinner coincides with a Republican debate in the battleground state of Florida.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Kaieteur News

THE LEGAL FIX!

Most of the persons who died in the riots at the Georgetown Prisons were on murder charges. This means that effectively at least fourteen murder cases have to be been taken off the list for trials.

The persons who were awaiting trial for murders have not been found guilty by any court. In fact, if you look at recent murder trials where many of the persons charged are being set free, those who were awaiting trial but met their deaths had a good chance of being freed.

This adds to the tragedy of last week. The families of those murdered by those who were in remand and lost their lives last week, will never know whether the right person was charged. Nor will they know whether justice was served. Or will they know how the case would have turned out. They are left to guess as to what may have been.

The fact that a person is charged with an offence does not make that person guilty, and therefore those who lost their lives in the prison last week never had a chance to establish their innocence.

It is a fact in this country

that trials take too long. Part of the problem is that the courts’ fault and part of the problem is the legal system which actually thrives when cases are delayed and multiple hearings have to take place.

There is huge backlog of cases in the system. You need more judges, you need paper committals, you need faster trials. When a man has to spend more than five years in prison awaiting trial that man is going to become very frustrated and this places additional pressures on the prison system.

The government has been addressing the problems of prisoners. They have done this even before the findings of the Commission of Inquiry are known. So why then in a similar vein cannot the government address the problems of the court and the large backlog of cases?

Previous efforts at removing the backlogs have not helped. Cases which have been abandoned were struck off the books. But the reason why many of them may have been abandoned is because of the lengthy delays involved in the court system.

Dem boys seh...

Jagdeo and Donald con Buddy wid jumbie Mathematics When you start to go to school teachers does give you match sticks to learn to count. That is because some people does tangle up dem fingers. Some of dem does count dem fingers and end up wid 14 instead of ten.

When dem get big is de same problem. When Donald was going to school people believe that he was a bright boy. He coulda count fast and he coulda divide and add.

But as old people seh, when you mix wid idiots you does tun idiot and when you mix wid smart people you does tun smart. Donald mix wid Jagdeo.

Buddy’s mix wid all two of dem. He mix wid Jagdeo first and then he mix wid Donald. Dem boys seh he head spinning because he can’t ketch heself. He sit down wid Jagdeo and he get con.

De story start off wid de casino licence. When he, Buddy, did own Princess, he get a licence fuh operate a casino. He sell out de place and Jagdeo tell him not to worry, that he would get another licence.

But de same Jagdeo seh that no region would get more than three casino licence. And that is how dem boys learn jumbie mathematics because Jagdeo give Princess one licence and he give de Marriott one. He then decide to give Ed Ahmad one and he give Buddy’s another.

Buddy was happy till he open de paper and read how Cliffy get a licence too so he tek out he fingers and start to count. He get five.

Five casino got to get three licence. Only Jagdeo know that jumbie maths.

Buddy call Jagdeo and get no answer. Then he call Donald only to find out that he, Buddy’s, had no licence.

Dem boys see when he shake he head. If Jagdeo can con Buddy, wha he gun do to Uncle Adam and Uncle Glenn.

Imagine wha he doing to de people of Guyana.

Dem boys seh that Buddy think he was family, like he name suggest. He find out that he wasn’t even adopted, just tolerated.

Talk half and don’t tie bundle wid Jagdeo.

The government should not repeat that process. It should make public the sums of monies that were paid to the various persons for the exercise of reducing the backlogs and then move on with appointing twenty new judges to clear the backlog.

Where will these judges come from? They should be recruited from around the Commonwealth and should be judges who have retired.

It will cost a fortune but as we have seen it will now cost

the State a fortune to fix the problems at the prisons and compensate the families of those killed.

Seventeen families now have to be compensated. Funeral expenses have to be met.

Security measures have to be put in place. New phone lines have to be installed.

The prisoners may soon demand ice cream after every meal. The price tag is going to be heavy for the Sate because already some lawyers are licking their lips and pre-

paring briefs to sue the State for loss of life.

So it makes sense to try to fix the problems in the judiciary. It makes sense to try to reduce the prison population.

The jails are overflowing with small drug offenders who face mandatory sentencing. This is something that needs to be looked at.

All over the world, governments examine the composition of their prison population, determine the major causes of imprisonment and

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make adjustments to the law.

It is costly to keep a prisoner and therefore, rather than having to spend all that money why not impose a penalty on certain offenders and have them give a certain percentage of their salaries- if they can get a job - each month.

In this way they are literally paying for their crimes.

Strategic Prison Reform plan must be fully implemented - Rohee

PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has called for the Government to return to the Strategic Prison Reform plan it had initiated. The party is of the view that what the administration is considering is inadequate and without the full implementation of the strategic plan, prison riots could reoccur.

This was communicated

by PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee, during a press conference yesterday.

He said that the plan was aimed at building on what was started. There was a sentence management, recruitment, training and agriculture development board, as well as the Prisons’ Visiting Committees and the Cecil Kilkenny Training College at Lusignan.

“To prevent any re-occurrence of this type (prison riots) the Granger coalition administration must pick up from where the PPP/C left off,” Rohee, a former Home Affairs Minister, emphasized. “The blueprint is there for them to examine carefully and to press ahead with implementation of the Strategic Plan for Prison reform.”

“Above all (was) the decision to transform the Lusignan prison into a model correctional facility particularly for young, first offenders to prevent contamina-

tion,” Rohee continued.

“These reforms were eventually absorbed into the total overall Strategic Plan to transform the Guyana prisons into correctional institutions.”

Rohee also expressed worry at what he called “the informal, illegal networking among prisoners at the various locations.” He noted that this was a serious threat, posing a security risk to the country as a whole if these connections were used in a coordinated manner at the same time.

OVERCROWDING Rohee was, however, asked whether the reform plan did not take into account addressing overcrowding. The former Home Affairs Minister stated that it did and while plans for constructing a prison at Timehri were abandoned, there were also plans for an extension of the Mazaruni prison.

“Money was allocated for (the extension),” he responded. “(But) the reform plan is a very expensive plan.

Each stage of the plan was costly and could not be funded at the same time. We had to phase the implementation, because other ministries are competing for resources.”

He, however, noted other avenues that were attempted in the past ‘for dealing with overcrowding. One example

he gave was the work of the sentencing management board, which looked at convicted prisoner’s skills and determined avenues to have them use their skills productively. He also pointed to sentencing to community services as another way of managing the prison population.

“But the magistracy did not have any uniformity in their sentencing policies in respect to sentencing individuals to community service,” Rohee said. “That was one way to deal with overcrowding, instead of sentencing people to prison for minor offences.”

RAMJATTAN MUST GO Meanwhile, Rohee surprisingly issued calls for the dismissal of Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan. This comes despite the fact that Rohee was once under fire for his handling of the security sector after several police atrocities and deadly protests, but refused to step down. A no confidence motion was even filed against Rohee.

Rohee based his calls for Ramjattan’s head on the fact that while he was once blamed for the deaths of the three Linden protestors, “lying at the feet of Ramjattan and indeed the Granger administration are 17, not three bodies.”

The question was posed how he could justify his call for Ramjattan’s head when the Government only recently came into power. Rohee said, “The king is dead. Long live the king.” He expressed the opinion that the Government inherited the good and the bad and it was its responsibility to fix it.

“It doesn’t matter how long they’ve been there,” Rohee said. “They’ve been saying since (they were) in the opposition that they had all the answers.”

In response to Rohee’s calls, however, Ramjattan yesterday dismissed them as attempts to gain cheap political points. He made it clear that if Rohee felt thus, he could move a no confidence motion against him, as the then A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance for Change (AFC) opposition once did. “I have the confidence of the President, Cabinet and National Assembly.”

Ramjattan expressed.

Prison reform came into sharp focus with the deaths of 17 inmates from the Camp Street prison in a fiery blaze.

A Commission of Inquiry has since been launched, which will not only examine the events of the day, but will make recommendations for prison reform.

Page 10

Kaieteur News

Tuesday March 08, 2016

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

That local government debate: My choice I was one of a dozen panelists that forwarded questions to Local Government candidates at the debate held at Theater Guild on Saturday night. Because of the format, a panelist had a candidate chosen to which the questions would be asked.

My question and followup were directed to the APNU+AFC candidate, Sherod Duncan.

But in all honesty, if I had to choose one of the debaters to which I would have directed my queries, it would

have been Duncan.

Time was too short (90 minutes) and the panelists too many. The result was many panelists were restricted to one question with the follow up. Of course we learn from experience and the next time, the format would be more facilitating to both panelists and debaters. So what were my impressions of the debate? My two enquiries were (a) the removal by City Hall of encumbrances on pavements and parapets perpetuated by private citizens

is skewed in favour of the propertied and commercial classes. I pointed out to Mr. Duncan that City Hall does not touch the rich that violate the by-laws.

His response was anticipated by me and I guess the whole world. He said all are equal before the law and as a councillor that is how he would approach that particular policy. My follow-up continued on the same line of the class bias in the policies of City Hall. I asked what he will do with the shameless atti-

tude of City Hall where sand trucks cannot be in the city after 6 in the morning, but there is no time constraint on the humongous containervehicles that create traffic headaches all over Georgetown.

He said that he will see about that. Mr. Duncan was competent in his performance and I would like to think he is one for the future. I know him from UG and have positive views on him It didn’t matter to me how Mr. Duncan approached my questions because I will not be voting for the APNU+AFC as stated in one of my columns two weeks ago. I don’t think it is philosophically sound and politically wise for the same party to control central and local organs of power.

This columnist was told during the evening by one of the panelists that a certain Minister last week (not the Minister of Communities) called certain Councillors from the PNC to get City Hall to release

a huge sum of money (running into dozens and dozens of millions) owed to a certain contractor in return for a gift which I prefer not to describe.

This situation can arise when the ruling party of the country is also the ruling party at the Municipal level.

If you have a Council where the PPP or APNU+AFC are not in the majority it will be difficult for politicians from central government to coerce their colleagues at City Hall to do their opportunistic biddings. Obviously, I will not vote for the PPP. My mind was made up; Team Legacy or Team Benschop. But the debate changed my attitude. Minus the PPP and APNU-AFC debaters, the other four were Mr. Philip Thomas from Guyana Nation Builders Corps; Mark Benschop; Michael Leonard from Team Legacy and Clayton Halley from Youth For Local Government I was not stirred by Thomas. I don’t think his performance can make me vote for him. It could be lack of political experience but he appeared and performed too blandly. Benschop was competent but he came across as a typical politician. Some people may want a Council without politicians. Michael Leonard from Team Legacy certainly did not outscore Benschop but his contribution made you feel that you

Frederick Kissoon need people like him (and Benschop) to replace the PPP and PNC politicians at City Hall I would say that if I had to vote based on the performance of the debaters, I would give my Proportional Representation ballot to Youth for Local Government.

Clayton Halley impressed me the most. I don’t know if it is my long praxis or premonition, but he came across to me as a young man who is not interested in putting politics in front of Municipal governance and someone who would break with the old political culture of Guyana I didn’t feel psychologically comfortable with the way Thomas, Benschop, Duncan and Leonard shaped their responses. I may be wrong but I guess it is my impression but I sensed the usual, traditional politics in them. I didn’t see that in Halley.

There was something about Halley’s deliveries that made me feel that he will not play by the old, political rules and will confront those rules.

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Kaieteur News

Page 11

Regional officials gather in Guyana for electoral workshop

UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, Khadija Musa and Deputy Secretary-General, CARICOM Secretariat Manorma Soeknandan with the participants of the Regional workshop on Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections at the Marriott hotel

Khadija Musa

Senior electoral officials, experts from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and representatives of other regional organisations, have gathered in Guyana for a three-day discussion aimed at facilitating the sharing of experiences and good practices on election observation.

About 40 participants from CARICOM member states, CARICOM Secretariat, United Nations (UN), as well as some other regional and intergovernmental organizations, are attending this electoral event co-organised by the CARICOM Secretariat and the UN. Hosted on the theme “Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections” (BRIDGE), the workshop opened this morn-

ing at the Marriott Hotel, Georgetown.

Addressing the event were UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, Khadija Musa, and Deputy Secretary-General, CARICOM Secretariat, Manorma Soeknandan.

In the past 30 years, there has been dramatic increase in the number of countries around the globe which have elected to conduct periodic election. Whilst, this is an encouraging trend, Musa pointed out that at the same time, the complexity of the

challenges facing elections and election observation has also continued to increase.

“There are for sure many things that we can all learn from the Region and from each other, each of the attendees, regional organisations, member states on how to best conduct elections and elections observation,” Musa said.

She acknowledged the experience of all the participants and the objectives of the event. It is the responsibility of sovereign states to share periodic and genuine election experiences that reflect the will of their people.

When requested, the international community and regional organisations should be willing to step in, to support nationally owned and led efforts for peace, and credible and inclusive elections, she added.

She said, “Election observation has proven to be of great help to the effort of member states to conduct transparent, peaceful elections particularly through the impact that such mission can have in public confidence on the electoral process and their results.”

Musa however, pointed out that the opportunity to assist member states through their election also carries with it great responsibility.

“Impartiality, professionalism and integrity are key guiding principles in building confidence in international electoral support and election observation, and we need to take all the necessary steps to maintain and strengthen this confidence,” she said.

Soeknandan said that election observation is an essential element of CARICOM’s efforts to promote and maintain its democratic values, since, “it builds the public confidence in the electoral process, and assures them that the process is transparent and that the rights of the participants are protected.”

She added that the recommendations from the electoral observation team when implemented are useful to electoral offices in reviewing and updating systems, as well as building capacity.

During the 1990s and the early 2000, CARICOM governance support to its member states was in the form of mediating political conflicts and in diffusing politically charged situations before they erupted into violence.

“We can all agree that as a region we have in general come a long way from those days and our political processes are more or less peace-

ful affairs. Notwithstanding, it was recognised that regular monitoring and evaluation of the electoral process of member states will increase the public’s confidence and give legitimacy to the process,” Soeknandan added.

During the three-day event, issues such as why and how to observe elections, international obligations and principles for election observation, the impact of observation, latest trends and challenges in the area of election observation and how to promote women’s participation through election observation will be discussed. (GINA)

The police have charged a 14year-old Dartmouth teenager who stabbed a 13yearold, Charity Secondary School student a month ago, with attempted murder. Both teenagers are from Dartmouth Village. The case will commence on March16. However in the meantime, the 14 yearold was placed on $125,000 bail. It was reported that on February 8, at Dartmouth Village, the teenagers were involved in a heated argument

which led to the 14year-old stabbing the 13year-old with a kitchen knife.

According to reports, the 14year-old was armed with a knife and waited at a corner where he pounced on the 13year-old who was visiting

his great uncle in the same Village. The injured 13yearold sustained a stab wound to his throat which carried ten stitches. He was hospitalized at the Suddie Public Hospital for over two weeks.

(Yannason Duncan)

14year-old charged with attempted murder

Page 12

Kaieteur News

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Commissioners on Georgetown Prison riot COI sworn in - Harmon says Commission will not be hoodwinked The three Commissioners, who will serve on the Commission of Inquiry (COI) that was ordered by President David Granger, were yesterday sworn in by Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan in the presence of Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, and Minister of State, Joseph Harmon. The simple ceremony was held at the Ministry of the Presidency.

The Commissioners are former Judge James Patterson, who will serve as Chairman, former Director of Prisons Dale Erskine and human rights activist, Merle Mendonca.

Delivering a brief comment to members of the media, following the ceremony, Minister Harmon acknowledged that the initial timeframe may not have been adequate. The Commission was expected to finish its work and submit the report by March 15. “We have pushed that back because we have recognised that that timeline is not enough for them to actually do a proper investigation; so we have pushed that back for at least two more weeks.

“We expect that they should finish their work in about a month. They expect to take evidence from inmates from Georgetown and even from the other prisons. They will take from the relatives, prison officers and any other person who in their view can give evidence,” Minister Harmon said.

Minister Harmon, in his charge to the Commissioners, said that the incident at the Georgetown Prison is one which has affected every Guyanese. As such, answers are urgently needed.

He noted that it is imperative that the work of the

From left: Minister of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon, former Director of Prisons and Commissioner, Dale Erskine, Human Rights Activist and Commissioner, Merle Mendonca, Chief Magistrate, Ms. Ann McLennan, former Judge and Chairman of the Commission, Mr. James Patterson and Minister of Public Security, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan after yesterday’s swearing in.

Commission be in accordance with the Oath of Office the Commissioners have taken.

“The President has instructed that a Commission of Inquiry be established to enquire into the circumstances which led to those disturbances and for us to make recommendations to prevent something like that [from] happening again.

“This Commission of Inquiry, we believe, should be done in a very speedy fashion. While we are not trying to put any pressure on the Commissioners, it is understood that the society is looking for answers…,” Minister Harmon said.

Minister Harmon said that the Guyanese people must be assured and can be assured that the Commission will not be “hoodwinked” but will ensure that its mandate is properly fulfilled.

“The Commission has been given wide scope and

the instrument they received, gives them as much power as High Court Judge to summon witnesses and take evidence as you would in the High Court.

“I want to give the assurance to the relatives of the deceased that they can come forward and give evidence to the Commission and the Commission has full authority to take their evidence into their

recommendations to the administration,” he said.

The Minister noted that while some sections of society have been calling for the COI to be held after the Police investigations are completed, the two investigations are completely different and will not interfere with each other.

After a brief meeting with the Commissioners, Minister Harmon said that the

Commission will meet today, to finalise the procedures and Terms of Reference (TORs).

Following that meeting, the decision will then be made by the Commission as to when it will commence gathering evidence. “…After [the meeting], they will, in their own determination, decide at what point in time they will take witnesses… They have been given guidance so from

(Tuesday), the work will start.

They will be at the Department of Public Service.

They will have to sit and work on their procedures, decide who are going to come, what they are going to do,” Minister Harmon said.

The Minister of State also announced that the Commission’s deadline of March 15, 2016 has been moved so as to ensure that a full and proper investigation is conducted and the findings are well documented.

On Thursday, as news broke that the men had died, the President immediately convened a National Security Committee meeting where he instructed that the Commission be established to investigate the tragedy, which claimed the lives of 17 prisoners.

“We have to determine the causation, why it occurred and why it was so violent because this has never occurred before and secondly, whether the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were adhered to with the conduct of the officials…

“The families can be assured that the Government is aware of their plight and is doing the best to ease their discomfort,” President Granger said last week.

Surinamese jailed for cocaine in her vagina After being on remand for almost one year, a Surinamese mother of two decided to plead guilty to a narcotics charge and was jailed for three years.

When her matter was called, yesterday, in the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, Damario Cheslie informed Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul of her decision and offered an explanation to the court.

The 21-year-old woman admitted that on May 17, 2015, she had 526 grams of cocaine in her possession for the purpose of trafficking.

She had initially pleaded not guilty to the allegation when she first appeared before City Magistrate Fabayo Azore in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on May 22, last.

Cheslie begged Magistrate Ally-Seepaul for forgiveness and to exercise discretion. She said that she was a single mother of two and was

at the time trying to accumulate money to support her children who are currently in Suriname.

Cheslie explained that she has no family in Guyana and was desperately trying to get home to her children before they were taken away by relevant authorities in her homeland. Magistrate AllySeepaul after considering that it was the woman’s first offence and that she pleaded guilty, sentenced her to three years’ imprisonment- the minimum jail term for such offences by law. Cheslie was also ordered to pay a fine of $30,000 with an alternative of a further six months in jail.

Police Lance Corporal David Goodridge presented the prosecution’s case.

According to court facts, Cheslie was busted with the cocaine on May 17, 2015 at the Ogle International Airport. She was at the time an

JAILED: Damario Cheslie outgoing passenger on a LIAT flight destined for Barbados. She was intercepted by police before boarding her flight and searched.

It was discovered that the

woman had a parcel concealed inside a condom in her vagina. When questioned by officers Cheslie admitted that she had swallowed 42 pellets containing cocaine and was later taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

It was at the hospital that she excreted the pellets containing the illicit substance.

The parcel concealed in her vagina revealed more cocaine.

Page 20

Region Ten Chairman seeks $48M for young job seekers

C

hairman of R e g i o n Te n , Renis Morian, told the media recently that his office is looking to raise approximately $48million to fast track a programme which would involve 200 young people.

The youths would be attached to various institutions and businesses in Region Ten, if everything goes according to plan, Morian said. He anticipates to kick start the programme before the 50th Anniversary celebrations.

Morian pointed out that the objective of the program is to afford youths the opportunity to gain relevant experience in the working

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Kaieteur News

environment.

“Now when people apply for a job one of the first questions asked is about how much experience you have, but if you were never afforded the opportunity to be employed where is the experience going to come from?” Morian questioned.

“So the whole idea behind the initiative is to provide that experience for young people. Morian said that he has written to various entities across Region Ten seeking their collaboration to make the programme a reality.

Among the entities written to are Bosai, LUSCSL and Banks D.I.H. He has also penned a letter to

President David Granger seeking his assistance.

Region Ten like many communities across Guyana, is plagued by high unemployment. Among the most affected, are young school leavers.

Some youths when asked how they felt about the initiative described it as a good one.

“We just come out of school so we have no experience in the world of work.

We need this kind of exposure so that whenever the time comes for us to get a job, we could say that we have some hands on experience,” a youth named Devon declared.

Another young man

named Chris, opined, “This is something we need like long ago, because how else can we get experience, if we're not given a chance, I think it's a good thing to happen, so I hope the regional chairman gets the support he is seeking.

Crystal, a young school leaver posited, “I would be happy if this really becomes a reality because right now young people are becoming more frustrated by the day.

We go to school, and we work so hard to do well, then when we graduate, we can't get a job- and even when there's an opening we can't get through because we don't have any experience.

I think this initiative will make things a little easier for us.

“And who knows?

Sometimes the very entities we become attached to might want to keep us!”

Apart from gaining relevant work experience, participants will be paid a stipend, Morian said. He added that he is very optimistic about the success of the programme.

(Enid Joaquin)

C'bean Voice invites nominations for El Dorado Awards The Caribbean Voice, a non-Governmental Organisation involved in suicide prevention, is inviting nominations for its Second Annual El Dorado Awards, slated for July 2016. The day and venue will be announced later. The El Dorado Awards were launched in August 2015 to recognize affirmation agents on Guyana's social landscape. It was supported by Sueria Manufacturing, Gafoor Group of Companies, Cara Hotel, Metro Office Supplies, Galaxy 21 Communications, Office Resources (New York City) and an anonymous sponsor.

Vice-President of the Organisation, Bibi Ahamad, said yesterday that the awards were very well received by stakeholders, attendees and the general public. A decision was taken to make it an annual event.

She continued that Affirmation agents are individuals, businesses and organizations that give back to communities and causes, promote and support social causes and/or engage in charitable work to empower and positively impact lives.

Those who give so much of their time, efforts and resources to make a difference are often unacknowledged and even unrecognized.

The purpose of the El Dorado Awards is to ensure that the Guyanese nation becomes aware of the work of these sterling individuals and entities.

Award categories and eligibility criteria can be a c c e s s e d a t w w w. c a r i b v o i c e . o rg / e l dorado-awards.html.

Nominations, to include name, address, phone number, email and short bios or background information, should be sent via email to caribvoice@aol.com, bibiahamad1@hotmail.com or deodatpersaud25 @yahoo.com or via instant messaging (IM) on facebook to Annan Boodram, Bibi Ahamad or The Suicide Epidemic page.

The Caribbean Voice is also inviting sponsors for the awards.

For inquiries or further information please call 2232637 or 621-6111 (Guyana) or 718-542-4454 (Canada, USA) or send email to any of the email addresses above.

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Kaieteur News

Page 21

Grove miner charged with Murder accused pleads murder of girlfriend, 18 guilty to manslaughter

MURDERED: Alicia McPherson

MURDER ACCUSED: Shivnanand Roopnarine The 22-year-old porkknocker accused of fatally stabbing his young girlfriend 41 times about her body, was yesterday remanded to prison on a murder charge, when he appeared in the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.

After being on the run for almost one year, Shivnanand Roopnarine of 478 Grove Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, was captured last Friday by police in Mabura.

Reports of the young man altering his physical appearance proved true. He looked completely different at yesterday’s court hearing, sporting a low hair cut, compared to photos that were posted of him in the media with braided hair.

Roopnarine, who had no legal representation, was not required to plead to the indictable charge which read that on April 19, 2015 at Sophia, he killed 18-year-old Alicia McPherson of Lot 612 ‘C’ Field Sophia.

He was remanded to prison until April 28 by Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul.

Police Prosecutor, Sergeant Jupiter told the court that the accused had been evading police. She said that on the day in question, McPherson was at a barbecue in Sophia. She said that the young woman left the event in the company of another male, although she was forewarned by Roopnarine not to do so.

Prosecutor Jupiter stated that an argument ensued between the two. She added that McPherson was stabbed repeatedly. She also indicated that police investigations are still ongoing.

According to reports, McPherson was allegedly stabbed 41 times by the accused, who she had been dating for almost two years. She was found near a washroom in a yard located at Crappy’s Place, Sophia, where the dance was being held.

McPherson succumbed

while receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital. It was reported that she had been a constant victim of physical abuse at the hands of her boyfriend.

At the time of Roopnarine’s arrest, he was reportedly heading to Mahdia when he was stopped at a checkpoint at Mabura and asked to produce his identification. It was reported that at this point a policeman recognized the fugitive and took him into custody.

It was reported that he denied that he was Roopnarine, but eventually confirmed his identity.

Roy Lewis, 40, of Glasgow Housing Scheme who is on trial for the murder of Devon Da Silva, 18, called Devon Lewis, on Thursday December 27, 2012 at Sisters Village, East Bank Berbice, has pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter which was accepted by the State.

The man appeared before Justice Franklyn Holder on Monday in the Berbice High Court. Da Silva of Lot 54 Sisters Village, was stabbed to death while in bed with his girlfriend, at her parents’ home by the jealous man who became obsessed with the youth for rejecting him.

Lewis will be sentenced on March 22, following a probation report which was requested by State appointed Attorney at Law Sasha Roberts of the Legal Aid Berbice Branch.

The State’s case is being presented by Attorney at Law Natasha Backer.

According to information, Da Silva was about 14 years when the accused first forced him into an intimate relationship. The man seduced, forced, threatened and showered the lad with lavish gifts.

Lewis and Da Silva once lived at the same residence.

The man had also on a number of occasions threatened to kill the youth after he stopped accepting gifts. The man who was a seaman reportedly stopped working at sea and sought employment at the same entity with Devon who was working at the time at the Cement Plant at Everton.

Devon had also sought employment in the interior and

Roy Lewis

was away for a considerable length of time. He had travelled home a few days earlier to be with relatives and his girlfriend for the Christmas season when the man began stalking him again.

The matter was reported

to the welfare department and the police. Lewis was charged with using threatening language. He had reportedly attacked the teen and injured him during that encounter. It was not long after Devon was murdered.

Page 22

Kaieteur News

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Tuesday March 08, 2016

Kaieteur News

Page 23

An ancient institution that should be done way with DEAR EDITOR, There could be no happier observer than this writer at the reported protest by the Guyana Teachers’ Union against the existence of the Teachers’ Service Commission, probably the most archaic Government agency in

operation - since the colonial days of the ‘Whitley Council’ - an anachronism perpetuated by successive administrations - one substantial indicator of their indifference respectively to the sustainability, and less, the development of the teaching profession.

What is also interesting is that while commentators have bemoaned the depreciation in the education system (incidentally to blind and deaf administrators) they have not sufficiently focused on the depressed conditions of employment which teachers/lec-

turers across-the-board have consistently endured.

Once more attention has to be drawn to the highly inequitable Grade Structure as compared with that of the Public Service. Compare a remarkable 28 Grades, plus a Special Grade in the Teach-

ing Service with an uncomplicated Job hierarchy of 14 Grades in the counterpart Public Service. The following Table1 shows a comparison (or contrast) between jobs in the respective sectors, based on the applicable salary ranges. The disposition (be-

low) must make for the most self-contradictory job hierarchy anywhere in the world.

Imagine looking forward to a career prospect of ‘Temporary’ promotions. From any interpretation of career growth it is a construct of sheer idiocy.

E.B. John

From page 22

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Hamilton Green gives his take on...

From page 4 L.F.S. Burnham, Norman Mc Clean, Cecil ‘Skip’ Roberts, Laurie Lewis and the Party that I have served for three generations, I should break my silence.

I have always admired Rodney’s work in academics and his analysis of our his-

tory, but all of us must accept the truth. Dr. Walter Rodney opted to reach the plateau of political power by violent means. He was the architect of his own demise.

Gregory smith in his book made it clear; it was a terrible accident- end of story. I end with the anecdote, if we opted

for the sword, we are likely to die by the sword, but then Rodney may have been con-

vinced by the other piece of wisdom.

Hamilton Green

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Page 24

Kaieteur News

Under the theme “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality” the world over is today (March 8, 2016) celebrating IWD. Kaieteur News today salutes our women from every stratum of society. Below are some messages from individuals and organisations in observance of IWD.

Prime Minister Moses V. Nagamootoo

Women are the undisputed bedrock and nurturers of our society. The resilience and fortitude of women are the foundation for the forward thrust of our country. It is women who are the quiet engineers of change and social advancement.

The United Nations, today, calls on all to reflect on how to accelerate the 2030 Agenda of building momentum for the effective implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals. This will equally focus on new commitments under United Nations Women’s Step It Up initiative, and other existing commitments on gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s rights.

They, more than any other, mould and shape our youth and care for our elderly. Without women society would undoubtedly col-

lapse. This Coalition Government is proud of the immense strides our women have made in the 50 years since our independence and that they continue to be exemplary citizens, professionals and parents.

The APNU+AFC Government commits to ensuring that women are truly and sincerely protected, respected, included and provided with equal opportunity throughout the social landscape, starting with the manner in which the business of the national affairs are managed. It is a source of pride that 10 ministers of this Coalition Government are women, more than is the case for any other member of CARICOM and even as we work towards ensuring that this number is increased in years to come to achieve the UN goal of 50-50, hopefully well in advance of 2030.

In keeping with the theme for this year, ‘ Gender Equality by 2030’, the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers encourages women in Guyana to keep their eye on the prize, and work, together with all other women in the world to achieve this goal.

Equality is not an elusive dream, as some persons would prefer to have us think, and we must insist that gender equality be observed in every facet of our lives.

It is still a ‘man’s world’, even though we have made great strides in Guyana in having the law recognize our rights with respect to marriage, maintenance, division of property, and medical termination.

There is still regrettably a disconnect however in achieving equal pay for work of equal value in all areas of employment.

There is still discrimination in the workplace as evidenced by the discriminatory rules applied to female constabulary members and

pregnancy, and the nurses at the Linden Hospital who were denied maternity leave privileges as the law allows. And sexual harassment is a cause for great concern and needs to be addressed frontally by legislation and workplace protocols. Importantly, housework is still not acknowledged by all of us, especially our menfolk, as being work. Hence, a woman who is a mother and wife or caregiver in the home is still regarded as a ‘housewife’ or ‘homemaker’ and not worthy of mutual respect, while women who work outside of the home are still regarded as working housewives.

Thus, after a full day’s work, most, if not all women, ( regardless of status), meet more than their fair share of chores which ought to in fact be shared by all in the home, moreso because it is felt that the woman in the house will get it done regardless. For some women, help with one major chore can go a far way to easing their never - ending burdens.

Education of women, for example, reflects progress in women’s rights, but it has also exposed the degree of resistance to re-ordering of domestic gender roles which the education of girls implies. In the Guyanese context, better-educated younger women earning good salaries are no longer unquestioningly available for traditional domestic house-keeping, kitchen-gardening, minding fowls and parenting roles. Nor are they helplessly subject to the whims of men and boys, dependent on them for money: they own cars and scooters and phone for taxis.

However, this evolution of women’s rights is not as acceptable or secure as we like to think. Coercive male control, or patriarchy, has always been the crucial gender battleground.

It remains pervasively manifest in everyday ordeals of checking cell ‘phones and interrogation over length of time spent out of the house or on Facebook and control of women’s earnings by partners. Control is the commonest form of domestic abuse whether by fathers, husbands, child-fathers, partners and brothers. It also remains, according to recent studies, a huge risk factor for domestic homicide.

Moreover, control is not only a feature of settled relationships. A girl who having told

her boyfriend she is going out with the girls for a night and decides to cancel with the girlfriends because yet again he ‘forgot and came around anyway’, is already being controlled.

In addition to the police and the courts, the understanding and response to this problem in Guyana by social workers, healthcare staff, the media and, most particularly faith organizations, is nowhere close to adequate.

A leading expert in this area has noted that the “why doesn’t she just leave?” mentality permeates every agency: they cannot appreciate that coercive control means she doesn’t have that choice.

While the status of all women remains so vulnerable to domination and the coercive control of men, it is an illusion to believe that the rights of minorities, such as indigenous, migrant, trafficked, and disabled women along with women vulnerable to sexual orientation discrimination can be secured and protected.

This is not to undermine the struggle to secure and protect rights of these minorities.

It is more so to guard against any untroubled belief that women’s fundamental rights are so well-established that they can be submerged into generalities about ‘gender’ - for the next 15 years.

GUYANA ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN LAWYERS

Guyana Human Rights Association

Tuesday March 08, 2016

U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Bryan Hunt As we near local government elections on March 18th and Guyana’s 50th anniversary of independence on May 26th, this year’s IWD takes on added significance.

The contributions of women to Guyana’s rich history are too many to list. The influence of leaders like former President Janet Jagan, former Public Service Minister Dr. Faith Harding, and former Member of the National Assembly Sheila Holder is enduring and today Guyana is fortunate to have women lead in the Cabinet, in the private sector, and in civic society.

In the United States it wasn’t until 1920 that women were afforded the right to vote, and it was much longer for many AfricanAmericans who suffered under Jim Crow laws, segregation, and racial injustice.

Through the determined efforts of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, and so many others who saw participating in the democratic process as a right, not a privilege, women now comprise a powerful voting bloc.

Today women hold twenty seats in the United States Senate, more than eighty seats in the House of Representatives, and there

are three female Supreme Court Justices.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is competing for the Democratic nomination in hopes to become the first woman president in United States history.

The United States of America is committed to working in partnership with the Government of Guyana and local organizations to strengthen social equity and access to essential social services for all people of Guyana, specifically to increase participation of and support for women, LGBT, indigenous, and vulnerable populations.

We value the work we have undertaken thus far in partnership with government and civil society leaders, and we look forward to building on this partnership as we work within the Guyana government and in civil society to achieve this shared goal.

It is heartening to see that many Guyanese women are seeking office in the upcoming local government elections on March 18. I encourage all Guyanese to participate in this critical election process.

Elections and progress go hand in hand as we all work together to make Guyana more safe, secure, and inclusive. Get out and vote!

In poor parts of the world today, women still risk death in the process of giving life.

Maternal mortality is one of many preventable perils.

All too often, female babies are subjected to genital mutilation. Girls are attacked on their way to school. Women’s bodies are used as battlefields in wars. Widows are shunned and impoverished.

We can only address these problems by empowering women as agents of change.

Confucius taught that to put the world in order, we must begin in our own circles. Armed with proof of the value of women leaders at the United Nations, I have spoken out for women’s empowerment everywhere.

In speeches at parliaments, universities and street rallies, in private talks with world leaders, in meetings with corporate executives and in tough conversations with powerful men ruling rigidly patriarchal societies, I have insisted on women’s equality and urged measures to achieve it.

When I took office, there were nine parliaments in the world with no women. We helped to drive that number down to four.

I launched the UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign in 2008; today, scores of leaders and ministers, hundreds parliamentarians and millions of individuals have added their names to the action call.

I was the first man to sign our HeForShe campaign, and more than a million others have joined since. I stood with activists calling for the abandonment of female genital mutilation and celebrated when the General Assembly adopted its first-ever resolution supporting that goal.

I am echoing the calls of many who know women can drive success in achieving our bold 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and advancing the Paris Agreement on climate change. On this IWD, I remain outraged by the denial of rights to women and girls – but I take heart from the people everywhere who act on the secure knowledge that women’s empowerment leads to society’s advancement. Let us devote solid funding, courageous advocacy and unbending political will to achieving gender equality around the world. There is no greater investment in our common future.

The Guyana Public Service Union supports the theme for Gender Equality and envisages a world where all women and girls have equal opportunities and rights by 2030 and it also welcomes this initiative by the United Nations to make gender equality a global priority issue. The Union is committed to promote equality between women and men across the organization’s mandate since, it views equality as not only a fundamental human right but a necessary foundation for the creation of development and a sustainable environment.

According to a release from the USAID it is noted that when women participate in civil society and politics, governments are more open, democratic and responsive to citizens.

When women are at the negotiating table, peace agreements are more inclusive and durable.

And simply by empowering women farmers with the same access to land, new technologies and capital as men, crop yields can be increased by as much as 30 percent which indeed would be helping to feed a growing population.

Therefore it is imperative that there be Gender Equality for this ensures better communities, better countries and consequently a better world.

On this occasion the Union takes the opportunity to wish all women a Happy International Women’s Day 2016.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki -Moon

Guyana Public Service Union

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Kaieteur News

New prison out of the question at this time - Ramjattan In the wake of the recent Camp Street Prison tragedy that left 17 dead and several others injured, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, is saying that calls for a new Prison will not be met at this time.

He said, too, that prisoners will not be given all that they are demanding.

The Minister told Kaieteur News that this is solely because of the fact that the government simply cannot afford to fund these requests at the moment.

Ramjattan said that Guyana will get a new prison when the country finds itself in a better position, financially. The Minister said that when the prices for the main commodities Guyana produces escalate and the country rakes in greater profits, only then can the government be able to build a new prison.

Ramjattan said that based on the information he received, the cheapest prison has a price tag of no less than $6B. He pointed out that shabby work cannot be risked as strong walls and good ground are needed “so that the prisoners won’t be able to burrow themselves like the Mexican drugs dealer.”

“Imagine if we move to spend that sort of money now, the media would rip us apart.

You will ask if that is our priority just eight months in office,” said Ramjattan.

He continued, “Should the comfort of prisoners be our priority? Should we close down another sugar estate to get at least a $2B from there to offset expenses? That would be absolute trouble.”

Ramjattan also told Kaieteur News that he approached the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as well as some of Guyana’s other financial partners none

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan

Former Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee

of whom are willing to come on board to fund a prison. “It will have to be funded from our money.”

Ramjattan pleaded that the public understands the difficulties facing the APNU+AFC government which he claims has the interest of every citizen at heart and wants to do what is right.

The Minister said out that it is already very expensive to maintain prisoners. He said that the state foots a Bill of $475,000 a year per prisoner for food alone.

He said that while he would want the criminals to be comfortable, “we just cannot afford it.”

Ramjattan said that the “chattering class” feels as if it has all the answers and can fix everything with the click of a finger; “but it is not that easy in reality.”

He told Kaieteur News that while the building of a new prison is off the table for now, the government will be looking to address other factors that could have contributed to the cause of last Thursday’s disturbances.

In this regard, the APNU+AFC government will be advocating for and implementing measures to secure faster trials, lowered bail for minor offences and remission

“because tension rise when the prison is overcrowded.

But when the President (David Granger) pardoned some youngsters who were imprisoned for minor offences thus reducing the crowd the chattering class has a lot to say.”

Even former Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, is against the building of a new prison at this time. At a press conference held at Freedom House yesterday, Rohee told reporters, “Forget this question of building a new prison. There will always be complications about whether money should be spent on a new prison or should be spent on hospital, school or road.

“Every government around the world faces that dilemma and usually the support comes down to using the money for a social project.”

Rohee said that instead, attention should be placed on the recommendations that came out of the Discipline Services Commission report.

That report offered the extension of the Mazaruni prison as a solution. The suggestion was that petty offenders should be placed there instead of having them at Camp Street Prison.

(Abena Rockcliffe)

Banks DIH employee must do community service or go to jail A Banks DIH employee got community service after appearin g at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for the possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

Joel Fabian,18, heard the charge read against him by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and pleaded guilty. He then offered an explanation.

It is alleged that on March 4, last, at the Stabroek Market he had in his possession 13 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

The Prosecutor said that on the day in question, a city police rank was on foot patrol in the area when he observed Fabian acting in a sus-

picious manner. As a result, the policeman identified himself and told the youth that he wanted to conduct a search of his person.

The policeman found 25 clear plastic bags containing leaves and seeds which were suspected to be cannabis in a sock. Fabian was arrested and taken to the nearest police station where the narcotic was weighed in his presence and amounted to 13 grams.

Fabian told the court that he bought the drug and was taking it home for his own use.

When asked by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan why he used cannabis, he re-

sponded, “I get a lot on my mind because my father died three years ago and my mother died last year, so is a lot”.

Fabian also told the court that he worked at Banks DIH full time in the Maintenance and Supply Department.

He begged the Magistrate for leniency in her judgement since he has a new born baby. Fabian was fined $30,000 and ordered to do three months community service with the Guyana Police Force.

Fabian has to do his community service four days a week, two hours daily. Failure to comply will see the teen spending three years in prison.

Page 25

Disciplined Forces to vote today The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has announced that the disciplined forces will be allowed to cast their votes today for the Local Government Elections (LGE).

Plans and activities are in place to support the process, a release from the commission stated yesterday.

The release continued that the Ballots were extracted, sorted and enveloped after arrival on March 1, 2016, in accordance to schedule, and the movement of these Ballots to the respective Balloting Stations began yesterday.

“Ballot Stations for the Disciplined Services Ranks are located at their places of duty or deployment. These in-

clude 19 locations for the Guyana Defence Force, five locations for the Guyana Prison Service and four for the Guyana Police Force.”

A total of 6,978 ranks have been registered to vote. This number includes the 4,693 from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), 1,928 from the Guyana Defence Force and 357 electors from the Guyana Prison Service.

Ballot Stations will be opened from 6:00 hours to 18:00 hours tomorrow.

Each Ballot Sheet for a member of the Disciplined Forces is placed into two envelopes. The outer envelope bears the elector’s name along with the District and Local Authority Area in which he/ she is required to vote. The

inner envelope bears the District, Local Authority Area and the Constituency in which he/she is required to vote.

Ballot Boxes will be returned to GECOM after voting tomorrow, and kept in the secured custody of the Chief Election Officer under guard

by Members of the Guyana Police Force.

The Ballots cast by members of the Disciplined Forces will be sorted by Local Authority and Constituency to be dispatched to the respective Returning Officers for intermixing on Election Day, which is, March 18, 2016.

The Polling Stations identified for the intermixing of the Disciplined Forces ballots will be gazetted.

MFK murder conspiracy trial put off again -Prosecutor blames prison unrest for absence of star witness The long awaited trial of Police Sergeant Leon Lindo who is accused of conspiring to murder businessman Mohamed F. Khan was put off again yesterday.

The trial is being conducted by Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The case was put off due to the absence of the prosecution’s main witness, Lennox Wayne, called Two Colours. He was scheduled to be the first to testify in the matter.

The prosecutor explained that Wayne’s absence was due to the prison unrest at the Camp Street prison.

Kaieteur News understands that the prosecution is supposed to prepare an order for Wayne’s release from prison but it is not too clear if this was done. The prosecution did not say if it had any other witness to start the trial.

The matter was adjourned to March 29, next.

In May last year, several weeks after he was questioned about his role in the death of the businessman, Sergeant Leon Lindo made his first court appearance before then Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

Lindo, of Lot 220 Belle West, Canal Number Two, West Bank Demerara, was not required to plead to the charge which stated that between July 10 and July 18, 2014, he conspired with Lennox Wayne to murder Mohamed F. Khan.

The charge stems from damning disclosures made by Wayne himself, who is at present on remand for another murder.

Police had launched an investigation after Wayne

Leon Lindo provided them with a statement in which he claimed that he and Lindo conspired to murder Khan.

Khan, 54, had escaped execution in July 2014 at La Grange, West Bank Demerara, when a gunman, who turned out to be Wayne, shot him in his abdomen, shortly after he returned to Guyana on a brief holiday.

Wayne had claimed that he was contracted by Lindo to kill Khan for a fee of $500,000.

However, there was a fall out between the two after Lindo did not honour his end of the bargain when the execution failed.

Mohamed F. Khan, who

was a popular city businessman, was last heard from on August 21 last year. A month later his dismembered body was discovered on a dam at Cummings Lodge. His skull, which was wrapped in a plastic bag, was located several feet from the body.

Although Wayne claimed he knew nothing of the actual killing, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) found that the investigation proved that he and Lindo were part of a conspiracy to murder the businessman.

Khan’s family expressed their frustration at the slow movement of the trial and the lengthy process in concluding the matter.

Page 26

Kaieteur News

South Korea, U.S. begin exercises as North Korea threatens attack (Reuters) - South Korean and U.S. troops began largescale military exercises yesterday in an annual test of their defenses against North Korea, which called the drills “nuclear war moves” and threatened to respond with an all-out offensive.

South Korea said the exercises would be the largest ever following North Korea’s fourth nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch last month that triggered a U.N. Security Council resolution and tough new sanctions.

Isolated North Korea has rejected criticism of is nuclear and rocket programs, even from old ally China, and last week leader Kim Jong Un ordered his country to be ready to use nuclear weapons in the face of what he sees as growing threats from enemies.

The joint U.S. and South Korean military command said it had notified North Korea of “the non-provocative nature of this training” involving about 17,000 American troops and more than 300,000 South Koreans.

South Korea’s Defence Ministry said it had seen no sign of any unusual military activity by the North.

North Korea’s National Defence Commission said the North Korean army and people would “realize the greatest desire of the Korean nation through a sacred war

U.S. and South Korean marines take part in a joint landing operation in Pohang, South Korea, yesterday. (Reuters/Choi Chang-Ho/News1) of justice for reunification”, in response to any attack by U.S. and South Korean forces.

“The army and people of the DPRK will launch an allout offensive to decisively counter the U.S. and its followers’ hysterical nuclear war moves,” the North Korean commission said in a statement carried by the North’s KCNA news agency.

The North, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), as it is officially known, routinely issues threats of military action in response to the annual exercises that it sees as preparation for war against it.

The threat on Monday was in line with the usual rhetoric it uses to denounce the drills. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong

Lei noted that North Korea had already said it opposed the drills, adding that Beijing was “deeply concerned” about the exercises.

“China is linked to the Korean Peninsula. In terms of the peninsula’s security, China is deeply concerned and firmly opposed to any trouble-making behavior on the peninsula’s doorstep. We urge all sides to keep calm, exercise restraint and not escalate tensions,” he told a daily news briefing.

The latest U.N. sanctions imposed on North Korea were drafted by the United States and China as punishment for its nuclear test and satellite launch, which the United States and others say was really a test of ballistic missile technology.

Oil hits 2016 high above $40; glut warnings resurface (Reuters) - Brent crude rose yesterday, hitting a 2016 peak above $40 a barrel as investors rotated more assets into raw materials, with oil buying encouraged by talk that OPEC producers want a higher anchor price after a selloff that has lasted nearly two years.

Gold and iron ore also were at multi-month highs. Oil prices also got a boost from data showing a smaller-thanexpected build in stockpiles at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery hub for U.S. crude futures.

But some analysts cautioned that the global crude glut remained big.

Global crude prices have risen more than 40 percent since hitting 12-year lows less than two months ago. The rebound from lows of around $26 a barrel has also been driven by chart-related buying and asset rotation by investors that resulted in higher allocations into commodities such as oil and metals, as well as equities.

U.S. equities have risen about 8 percent since midFebruary. Asian stock markets hit two-month highs.

“Money flows from broader financial markets are powering this broader rally in oil,” said Scott Shelton, energy broker with ICAP in Durham, North Carolina. “I don’t think the energy fundamentals for the next few days are going to matter much as the market is making a transition.”

Brent, the global crude benchmark, was up $2.18 at $40.90 by 1:13 p.m EST (1813 GMT). Its session peak was $41.04, the highest since Dec. 9.

U.S. crude was up $2 at $37.92 a barrel, after hitting a two-month high at $38.11.

Traders said price gains accelerated after market intelligence firm Genscape reported a smaller-than-expected rise in crude stockpiles at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery hub.

Major OPEC producers are

privately starting to talk about a new oil price equilibrium of $50, New York-based consultancy PIRA told Reuters.

Bullish bets on Brent hit a record high in the week to March 1, while those for U.S. crude reached November peaks as hedge funds abandoned some of their very bearish views on oil.

Technical analysts said the oil rally could be nearing exhaustion at $40. Others said the global crude market remained oversupplied by around 2 million barrels per day, while higher prices raised the prospect of U.S. shale oil producers adding more drilling rigs after recent cutbacks.

Morgan Stanley said “a large portion” of the rally was due to dollar depreciation.

“Thus, prices can continue to rally on headlines and a dollar pullback, but the upside should be limited by bloated global inventories and producer hedging,” it said in a note.

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Lula’s friend mulls plea bargain deal in Brazil probe: media (Reuters) - A friend of Brazil’s former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrested in November for allegedly taking out a fraudulent loan for the ruling Workers’ Party is negotiating a plea bargain deal with prosecutors, newspaper Valor Economico reported yesterday.

Jose Carlos Bumlai, a powerful rancher who also controls a sugar mill, has discussed a potential collaboration with Brazilian investigators during the past two weeks, Valor said. He has remained in custody since Nov. 25.

Under Brazilian law, plea bargain deals are strictly confidential until the testimonies are collected by prosecutors and accepted by a judge.

The strategy has been widely used in the sweeping corruption investigation into political kickbacks centered

Jose Carlos Bumlai on state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro that threatens to topple President Dilma Rousseff.

Economists said uncertainty generated by the probe has helped to deepen Brazil’s worst recession in decades.

Prosecutors expect Bumlai to give details about

the loan under investigation.

They suspect the engineering branch of the Grupo Schahin, Schahin Engenharia, was awarded a contract in 2009 to operate a drillship for Petrobras in exchange for the bank canceling Bumlai’s loan repayments.

The prosecutors’ office in Curitiba in the southern state of Parana, where the investigation is centered, declined to comment on the reported plea bargain.

Bumlai’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Valor said prosecutors are looking for evidence linking two country estates in Atibaia worth 1.5 million reais to Bumlai and the former president. Lula was briefly detained for questioning on Friday, in the highest profile development in the two-yearold graft probe.

Kamla: My Gov’t would have done better

(Trinidad Express) “My government would have done better.”

So said Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar while delivering an address following a march against violence in Chaguanas on Saturday.

Although yesterday’s march, held in commemoration of International Women’s Day, was dubbed a “march against violence”, PersadBissessar quipped that it could also have been a march against the current Government.

The former prime minister said the country has seen an “explosion” of crime during the six-month period since the People’s National Movement (PNM) assumed office reaching the point where Barbados Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite used this country’s crime statistics as a comparison. Brathwaite said Barbados was nowhere near as bad as Trinidad and Tobago.

“Imagine when somebody in Barbados can say they better off than Trinidad,” PersadBissessar said. “That could never happen in my time.”

She said the government’s “boasts” that they would deal with crime, corruption and the economy have not materialised and they have instead made the country worse.

SIX-MONTH MARK Today marks six months since the PNM’s victory at the polls, Persad-Bissessar

UNC Political Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and other members of the UNC Women group on Main Road, Chaguanas during their march against violence in commemoration of International Women’s Day. (Daily Express Photo/Ishmael Salandy) said the period of adjustment is now over and the government must “buck up or step out”.

“Six months was enough for the government to put plans in place to deal with the crime issue which they boasted they would do. To put plans in place to deal with the economy which they boasted they would do. Today the economy is flat, thousands have lost their jobs and more will continue to lose their jobs.”

Questioned by reporters on what her government would have done differently, Persad-Bissessar said more focus would have been placed on increasing revenue in other areas rather than depending on the energy sector.

She said the Couva Children’s Hospital, which

remains unoccupied, would have functioned as a stimulant for medical tourism. She said it would also have provided jobs for a number of out-of-work doctors and nurses. She said the government’s position that there would be difficulty in staffing the hospital was untrue as there are currently some 160 qualified doctors in Trinidad and Tobago who are not employed and more medical s t a f f c o u l d h a ve been sourced from foreign countries such as Cuba, China and Grenada.

She said the government was focusing on “vanity projects” including the Tarouba stadium and recent talks about a billion dollar beach front for the Magdalena hotel in Tobago.

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Kaieteur News

Page 27

Page 28

Kaieteur News

Tuesday March 08, 2016

18-Member Holness-led Cabinet Sworn In

Prime Minister Andrew Holness (front row, centre) with members of his Cabinet yesterday. (Ricardo Makyn photo/The Gleaner) (Jamaica Gleaner) The 18- Cabinet was sworn in yester- House. member Andrew Holness-led day afternoon at King’s The full list is as follows: CABINET MINISTERS 1. Andrew Holness – Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Economic Growth and Job Creation 2. Dr Horace Anthony Chang – Minister Without Portfolio (OPM) 3. Daryl Wesley Phillip Vaz – Minister Without Portfolio (OPM) 4. Derrick Smith – Minister Without Portfolio (OPM) 5. Audley Fitz-Albert Shaw – Finance and Public Service 6. Robert Montague – National Security 7. Delroy Aubyn Chuck – Justice 8. Dr Christopher Charles Tufton – Health 9. Karl Samuda - Industry, Commerce and Agriculture 10. William James Charles Hutchinson – Industry, Commerce and Agriculture (Minister without Portfolio) 11. Lester Mike Henry – Transport and Mining 12. Shahine Elizabeth Robinson – Labour and Social Security 13. Olivia Atavia Grange – Entertainment, Sports, Culture and Gender Affairs 14. Dr Andrew O’Brian Wheatley – Energy, Science and Technology 15. Edmund Curtis Bartlett – Tourism 16. Desmond McKenzie – Minister of Local Government 17. Senator Ruel Bankroft Reid – Education, Youth and Information 18. Senator Kamina Elizabeth Johnson-Smith – Foreign Affairs STATE MINISTERS 1. Fayval Williams – Finance and Public Service 2. Pearnel Charles Jnr – National Security 3. Floyd Green – Education, Youth and Information 4. Ruddy Spencer – Finance and Public Service ATTORNEY GENERAL Marlene Patricia Malahoo Forte

US flogs Jamaica’s Judiciary over Anti-Corruption record The United States is accusing Jamaica’s judiciary of having what it calls a poor record of successfully prosecuting corruption cases against high-level law enforcement and government officials.

The US made the pronouncement in its 2016 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report released recently.

The 2016 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report notes that Jamaican law penalises official corrup-

tion.

It notes that as a matter of policy the government does not encourage or facilitate illegal activity associated with drug trafficking or the laundering of proceeds from illicit drug transactions.

However, the US claims that corruption remains entrenched and widespread.

According to the United States, the situation is compounded by the poor record of the judicial system in successfully prosecuting corruption cases against high-level

law enforcement and government officials.

The report does not provide any statistics to support the claims.

Meanwhile, it states that the success of Jamaica’s law enforcement agencies, is limited by the chronic inability of prosecutors and the courts to keep pace and secure prompt convictions relating to drug and corruption related offenses.

Jamaica’s fight against corruption appears to have been reaping benefits recently as the country moved up 16 places on the 2015 Corruption Perception Index to be ranked 69 out of 168 countries.

There have also been attempts to strengthen laws to fight public corruption.

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Kaieteur News

Brave Girlz fall to Costa Rica...

(From page 26) girls regardless of the final outcome,” Busby told the Jamaica Observer in a postgame interview.

Earlier, the Girlz, wary that they were faced with a must-win situation, came out positively and pounced pretty early, but a chance in the second minute was muffed by G i s e l l e Wa s h i n g t o n a s the Costa Rican defenders scrambled to clear their lines.

The game was balanced well thereafter as the momentum consistently switched sides, but the Girlz grabbed the ascendancy when Canadianbased Ebony Clarke broke away on the right channel and drove a shot past Akira Rubi in goal for

Costa Rica.

The game was back on level terms five minutes later when Del Campo converted from the spot for Costa Rica after Benitez awarded a penalty when Gloriana Villalobos went down inside the area.

H o w e v e r, Ta r a n i a Clarke restored the lead when she lobbed a shot over the head of Rubi from outside the 18-yard area to put Jamaica 2-1 up at the break.

The Girlz continued their relentless pursuit of victory and almost went further ahead three minutes into the resumption, but E b o n y C l a r k e ’s r i g h t footed shot was tipped over the crossbar.

With the Costa Ricans pressing for the equaliser,

their defensive line became vulnerable and Jamaica went on the counter through Shayla Smart.

The fleet-footed Smart dismissed a defender and the goalkeeper in the 61st minute, but was hesitant in getting the shot off, which allowed a defender to recover and clear the eventual shot off the line.

The game went downhill for the young Reggae Girlz subsequent to the sending off of J u l i e n a n d C o s t a Rica pulled level soon after when Alvarado headed in a well-weighted corner from Valeria Roman.

The Costa Ricans secured all three points on the stroke of full time when substitute Salas slotted home from close range.

Tuesday March 08, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You're in a high cycle for romance. A little volleyball or other outdoor sports should be on your agenda. You will want to take off and have some recreation.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Hassles with close friends or family will put a damper on your day and result in isolation a n d loneliness. Your partner may be erratic today if you haven't paid enough attention to him or her.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You must take care of health problems that have been lingering. You need an outlet. Visit friends or relatives you rarely see.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Be careful how you deal with colleagues.

Entertainment should include your whole family.

Face any emotional problems head-on to avoid situations getting out of hand.

in life.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your time, not your cash, will do a lot more for your relationship. Don't let your jealous imagination play games with you. Romantic opportunities may not be as they appear.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Spend time getting to know each other. Do not invest in ventures that only appear to be lucrative. You can meet someone who will become very dear to you if you get out and socialize.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Try to control your irritability if you're experiencing emotional problems with your partner.

Go out with close friends who understand your situation and your needs.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Don't blow situations out of proportion. Loss is evident if you don't consider all the angles. Ignore colleagues who appear to be going in circles.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Insincere gestures of friendliness are likely to occur. Insincere gestures of friendliness are likely to occur. Residential changes, renovations, or moves are likely to disrupt your routine.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) If you can work at home, do so. You have worked hard and the payback is now. You may want to pull out some of those unfinished project you've got tucked away.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Be cautious when dealing with foreigners. Children may be less than honest with you. You may want to take a look at your direction

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Help those incapable of taking care of their personal affairs. Try not to let relatives or friends cause any friction with your mate.

Page 29

Topp XX are UDFA First Division champs after Shattas beat Winners Connection 3-1 Silver Shattas stopped Federal Winners Connection 3-1 and in the process handed the Upper Demerara Football Association’s (UDFA) 2015/16 First Division title to points’ leaders Topp XX who on 17 points are assured of the crown with a game in hand.

Playing on Sunday night, Winners Connection had to win their final two matches if they wanted to walk away with the UDFA First Division title, but they were unable to crack the Shattas and lost by a 3-1 score-line as first half

goals from Dellon Allicock (1st minute), Damion Williams (4th) and Robin Adams (41st) were enough to bring them victory. The Shattas prevailed with that win even though the Winners did get a consolation goal off the boot of their leading striker Marmalaque Davidson who struck home in the 58th minute.

However, the race for second place is wide open and among the clubs in with a chance are Shattas, Winners Connection and

Milerock.

In the other game on Sunday night Milerock nudged home winners by a 1-0 score. The competition continues tomorrow with the penultimate set of matches set for the MSC ground. The first game at 6:30pm will Botofago play Amelia’s Ward Panthers and the second is between Topp XX and Eagles United.

On Friday Amelia’s Ward Panthers take on Blueberry Hill and Winners Connection face Hi Stars in rescheduled game in this championship.

the competition rules. North Essequibo at the time was a formidable force and included the likes of Trenton Peters, Berchmore Reid, Jaimini Singh, Rovendra Mandolall, Bentley Bishop, Orin Belfield, Ramcharran Singh, Raj Sankar and Ramesh Narine, all of whom were seasoned intercounty players. Incidentally, not long after national interclub competitions were aban-

doned.

Notwithstanding however and in reference to Devers article, which contains some inaccuracies, national opener Kevin Boodie remains the first and only player to have achieved the distinguished feat of hitting a 50 overs intercounty double century, whilst representing Essequibo.

Yours Faithfully, Elroy Stephney.

Devers was incorrect on Haniff’s...

(From page 28) Cricket Board (GCB) during their rein.

Vigorous challenges were then subsequently done, questioning the legality of the county of Essequibo playing as Committees whereas the other counties were playing as clubs with the claim being that it was in violation against

Tennis star Sharapova says...

(From page 31) champion.

“I know that with this I face consequences and I don’t want to end my career this way. I really hope that I will be given another chance to play this game.”

Sharapova, who has struggled with a series of injuries in recent years, has not competed since she lost to Serena Williams in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January.

“I was first given this medicine by my doctor for several health issues I was having back in 2006,” said Sharapova, who according to Forbes earned $29.5 million in 2015.

“I was getting sick a lot.

I was getting the flu every couple of months. I had irregular EKG results.

“I had a deficiency in magnesium and a family history of diabetes, and there were signs of diabetes. That is one of the medications, along with others, that I received.”

Page 30

Kaieteur News

Brave Girlz fall to Costa Rica 3-2 Ref’s error that led to sending off blamed for defeat Jamaica Observer - ST GEORGE’S, Grenada — Jamaica’s Under-17 Reggae Girlz suffered their second defeat in as many games as they went down 2-3 to Costa Rica in a crucial Group B fixture of the CONCACAF Women’s Championships here at the Grenada National Stadium Sunday.

The Girlz, who led the encounter 2-1 up to the 76th minute, were left dumbstruck when they were overhauled by the Central Americans. In the search for answers, questionable officiating, coupled with faulty shooting, was blamed for the defeat.

The Jamaicans needed at least a point from the contest to rekindle their hopes of securing a semi-final spot after their 8-1 drubbing by powerhouse USA on Friday.

Ebony Clarke (24th) and Tarania Clarke (36th) were the scorers for the Girlz, while Valeria Del Campo (29th), Mereilyn Alvarado (76th) and Maria Paula Salas (90th) were on target for Costa Rica.

The Under-17 Girlz remain at the foot of the four-team standing without a point, while Costa Rica are on three points. Mexico are in second with a superior goal difference despite their 0-1 loss to the USA. USA head the table on six points and have secured a spot in the semi-finals.

Jamaica ended Sunday’s contest with 10-players after

Valeria Del Campo of Costa Rica leaps above Jamaica’s Dominique Moxie during their Group B fixture in the CONCACAF Women’s Championship at Grenada National Stadium.

Canadian-based Alyssa Julien, who replaced Lyana Steele in the 55th minute, was wrongfully shown a yellow card for a tackle executed by captain Rachel Walters in the 64th minute.

Julien was then shown a second yellow and in the 70th minute and was sent off, triggering a turn of fortunes for the Jamaicans.

The play was halted for approximately 10 minutes as Head Coach Lorne Donaldson and the coaching staff protested Julien’s yellow card, but that only resulted in assistant, Hubert Busby being sent to the stands by Referee Sandra Benitez from El Salvador.

Busby was left disappointed at the outcome of the game after a video provided

by CONCACAF officials at the venue revealed that Julien should not have been shown the first yellow card.

There was also a deliberate foul on the part of Villalobos, who held on to the leg of Clarke to deny her from breaking away, but no card was shown and the moderate crowd voiced their disapproval.

“It is obvious that the game was taken away from the players to decide the outcome, so I am not going to get into it much. But with that said, one thing we asked them to do was to go out there with the passion and the spirit of wearing the national team jersey and for that we can’t have any qualms or issue with that and we are very proud of our (Continued on page 25)

New Building Society Second Division 40-Over Cricket Competition in Berbice

Bridgelall (76), Heeralall (52) and France (4 for 34) see D’Edward through to Quarters - Young Warriors also advance D’Edward Cricket Club of West Bank Berbice and Young Warriors of Cumberland, East Canje have become the first two teams to reach the quarter-finals of the Berbice Cricket Board organised New Building Society Second Division 40Over Cricket Competition.

In D’Edward’s play-off match against Chesney, Heeralall Bridgelall hit 76 (6 fours and 4 sixes) and Jaipaul Heeralall 52 (4 fours and 3 sixes) to spearhead them to 260 for 9 in their 40-Overs with Chesney offspinner Devendra Harilall taking 5 for 37 from 8-Overs. When Chesney replied, pacer, Christian France took 3 for 34 from 8 Overs to engineer them being bowled out for a mere 108.

In the other play-off

Heeralall Bridgelall match, Guyana Under-19 Kassim Khan, former Berbice left arm spinner Anil Beharry and Berbice Under-19 offspinner Amir Khan each took three (3) wickets for Young Warriors to bowl out Friendship Cavaliers from the

Berbice River for 104 in 27.3 Overs. Khan then came back with the bat and slammed 42 N.O. to lead Warriors to an easy 7-wicket victory.

In summarised scores: At Chesney, D’Edward beat Chesney by 152 runs.

D’Edward 260 for 9 in 40Overs with Heeralall Bridgelall 76, Jaipaul Heeralall, Dr. Zulfikar Bux 32 and Devendra Harilall 5 for 37.

Chesney 108 in 18.3 Overs with Riaz Ramcharran 35, Christian France 4 for 34 and Devindra Lalsa 3 for 28.

At Cumberland, Young Warriors beat Friendship Cavaliers by 7 wickets.

Friendship Cavaliers 104 in 27.3 Overs with Joshua Leacock 28, Ryan DeNobrega 22, Kassim Khan 3 for 20, Amir Khan 3 for 20 and Anil Beharry 3 for 22.

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Chanderpauls entertain Joe Viera Park with 190 runs partnership It was a classic case of “dad, you taught me well” when Tagenarine “Brandon” Chanderpaul out scored his father in an entertaining 190 runs partnership which gave Tiger XI a hard fought victory over Independence Sports Club on Sunday at Joe Vieira Park West Bank Demerara.

The special T20 match was organized by the executives and members of Independence Sports Club (ISC) to honour the outstanding Guyanese cricketer Shivnarine “Tiger” Chanderpaul.

Upon his arrival, the batting great was greeted by scores of fans mainly from La Grange and other parts of West Bank Demerara with a huge and colourful garland and lots of cameras.

When the match got underway Tiger XI opted to bat in windy but sunny conditions. As Shiv was making his way to the middle to have a bat, the fielding side made a human arch for the “Tiger” to walk through. When he got to the crease, Tiger XI were 5/1 in the first over with his son, Tagenarine at the nonstrikers end on a single. The younger Chanderpaul, who was referred to by the vocal supporters as the “Cub,” then got to work.

The outfield was dry and grassless which made fielding very difficult but Tagenarine got value for his powerful shots on the two paced track by clearing the straight boundaries at will. In all, the younger Chanderpaul hit 10 sixes and 11 fours as he carried his bat through the innings to end on 124*. His first 50 runs came at a much more sedate pace and when he got to 50 his dad was 39*. Shiv played the main supporting role by giving Brandon the strike and he made full use of

Tagenarine Chanderpaul leaving the field after his innings at the Joe Vieira Park. the opportunity on small outfield.

When Shiv holed out to long on in the final over for 56 with 2 towering sixes and four sweetly timed fours, Brandon was on 124* and Tiger XI 195/2. The partnership was worth 190 and was worth the spectators braving the midday sun.

Saeed Mohammed joined Brandon with 3 balls in the innings remaining and took the score to 204/2 including a savage pull shot for six that almost disappeared on the public road just off of the Demerara Harbour Bridge.

Mahendra Dhanpaul 1/43 from 4 overs and Sheik Bacchus 1/30 from three overs were successful with

the ball for ISC. Some purposeful batting from the home team and ordinary fielding from the visitors saw ISC being restricted to 186/5 from their allotment of 20 overs giving Tiger XI victory in fading light by 18 runs.

Independence Sports Club skipper Sarfraz Esau played delightfully for a top score of 62 with 5 sixes and 3 fours and was admirably supported by Dhanpaul 34 and opener Vivian Beckles 31. Brandon returned with the ball to claim two wickets for 39 runs with Vishal Arjune (2/34) and Shiv (1/29) sharing the other wickets that fell.

RHTYSC dedicates National Award to...

(From page 27) Micheal Trim, Dirk Figueria, Dauphine Vantull, Alvin Williams, Tory Chinsammy, Ravi Etwaroo, PermaulRaghundan, Bobby Deonarine, Stephen Fingal, Ancel Hazel, Hugh Ross, NalanieHendrax, Errol Hendrax, Leena Jagnarine, Lynden Armogan, Gavin Benn and George Subraj.

One of the Main reason for the success of the RHTYSC is the remarkable cooperation, it has received from the na-

tional media – both electronic and print. The Club would like to acknowledge the contribution of DTV-8, LRTVS CH10, TV G, NC N , G u y a n a Chronicle, Stabroek News, Guyana Times and Kaieteur News. T h e s u p p o r t o f j o u rnalist like Franklyn Wilson, Claude David, Sean D e v e r s , R a w l e We l c h , Michael Khan, Raymond Azeez, Donald Duff, Inderjeet Persaud, Samuel Whyte, Leon Horatio, Stephan Sukhram, Adam Harris, Tracey Leitch,

Ravindra Manolall, Tracey Khan, Rajiv Bisnauth, Michael Gordon, David Papaunah, John Ramsingh, Avinash Ramzan, Reeaz Mohamed, Travis Seymour, the late Calvin Roberts, Alex Wayne, Shirley Thomas Andrew Carmicheal Gregory Rambarran, Jenell Williams, Christopher Holder, Fredrick Halley and Michelle Johnson.

The RHTSYC has so far completed a total of 52 programmes/activities of the projected 300 it has set itself for 2016.

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Kaieteur News

Page 31

Yadram siblings guide Enterprise to massive victory

By Zaheer Mohamed Opener Bhaskar Yadram and his elder brother Kamesh Yadram turned in commendable performances with the bat as Enterprise A defeated Perseverance by 203 runs when the East Coast Cricket Committee/SPR Enterprise 40-over tournament continued on Sunday.

Bhaskar added 96 for the opening stand with Vivian Albert after host Enterprise A elected to bat. Albert cracked four fours and one six before he was caught behind off left arm seamer Darren Scotland for 41. Bhaskar and Kamesh then featured in a second wicket stand of 84 to further frustrate the visitors on good pitch. The pair timed the ball well as they executed a number of handsome shots on both sides of the pitch.

Bhaskar a former national

U15 player slammed nine fours and one six before he was caught behind off Agustine Chichester, chasing at a wide ball for a fluent 88.

Kamesh a former national U19 player hit ten fours in a chanceless unbeaten 81, while Rabindra Beepat made 27; Enterprise A posted 288-5 off their reduced 35 overs.

Chichester claimed 3-36 while Scotland and Rayon Wilson had one each.

In reply, Perseverance lost wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out for 85 in 17.3 overs. Chichester hit four fours and one six in a top score of 29, while Samea Singh 12 and Olester Bourne 11 were the only other batsmen that reached double figures. Amar Kishore snared 318, Hemnauth Dindyal 2-11 and Chatterpaul Singh 2-16.

At Paradise, Enterprise B

GDA Monthly Tournament ends The Guyana Darts Association (GDA) held its monthly tournament at the Malteenoes Sports Club on Friday last and the results were as follows In the “Luck of the Draw” Melissa Smartt and Sudesh Fttzgerald beat Anil Latchman Jnr. and Snr, while the losing semi-finalists were Nicholas Seetaram and Luis Ramirez-

Merlano and Jamwant Bhupan and Victorine Chandro.

In the team event, Luis Ramirez-Merlano, A. Singh and Anil Latchman jr defeated the team of Anil Latchman snr., Delon Correia and Terence Joseph, while the team comprising Fitzgerald, Smartt and Seetaram placed third.

Johnson guides North Soesdyke to victory A fine all-round performance by Clitus Johnson guided North Soesdyke to a comprehensive 191-run victory over Nandy Park when the East Bank Demerara Cricket Association 50-over tournament continued on Sunday.

Johnson held his team innings together, hitting nine fours and five sixes in a composed 101 as North Soesdyke rattled up 315 all out in 42 overs, batting first at Farm. Vishal Sarjoo scored 54 (4x4,5x6) and Sunil Sarjoo 30 as Rohan Sarjoo snared 3-68, Randolph Knights 3-34 and Flexton Slow 2-65.

Nandy Park were bowled out for 124 in 25 overs in reply. B. Shewmangal and Slow made 18 each and Mark Robhe 15; Johnson bagged 5-41, Dwayne Adams 2-8 and Stephan Blacks 2-25.

At Laluni, Sandpipers beat Uprising by 36 runs.

Sandpipers took first strike and managed 177 all out in

Oloflemy Sandy 39.2 overs.

Roopnarine Ramsundar slammed 72 (4x4,3x6), Oloflemy Sandy 28 (4x5); Vicasy Rampersaud claimed 4-24, Haridat Pooran 2-36 and Joshua Vantull 2-48.

Uprising made 141 all out in 33 overs in reply.

Teekaram George got 32, Pooran 29 and Andrew Baljit 22; Sandy claimed 4-34 and J. Altrom 3-26.

Bhaskar Yadram

Kamesh Yadram

Vishwanauth Gobin

Mankad Balkishun

got the better of the host by nine wickets. Batting first, Paradise scored 196-8 off their reduced 35 overs. F. Jones and C. Fraser gave them a fine start with a first wicket stand of 57 before Fraser went for 27. Jones kept the innings together with a top scored 70;

he featured in a third-wicket partnership of 58 with J. Martin who got 25. Following their demise Paradise lost their way as they finished on 196-8. Dave Persaud grabbed 2-25, Satyanand Ramkumar 234 and Mankad Balkishun 242. Vishwanauth Gobin and

Balkishun set Enterprise B on course with an opening stand of 112. The pair was aggressive from the inception, hitting the bowlers to all parts of the outfield. Gobin hammered eleven fours and two sixes before he went for 63, but Balkishun and Hansraj

Sookdeo saw their team home with an unbroken second wicket partnership of 85.

Balkishun clobbered nine fours and one six in scoring 72 while Sookdeo made 31 (2x4,2x6); Enterprise B ended on 197-1 in 26 overs. S. Hosanna took 1-23.

RHTYSC dedicates National Award to sponsors, supporters and members of the media The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, M.S created history on the 23rd of February last when it became the first youth and sports organisation to receive a National Award. The Club received The Medal of Service for its outstanding contribution to the development of Guyana via sports, education and community development.

Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster received the historic award from Executive President of Guyana and RHTYSC Patron David Granger at the Arthur Chung International Convention Centre.

The RHTYSC, he stated is very proud of being named as a national awardee as it had worked beyond the call of duty to make a positive difference in the lives of youths, the elderly and less fortunate. The success of the RHTYSC, M.S, the long serving Secretary/ CEO stated, would not have been possible without the support of numerous donors, supporters and members of the media, who have always expressed confidence in the Club’s work and has stood by its side in and out of season.

The management and membership of the RHTYSC, M.S would like to publicly share the National Award with each of them and to also pledge that the work of the Club would not only be upheld but would be expanded to assist more youths and less fortunate. The Club’s Executive on Wednesday 2016/03/ 02 at its monthly planning sessions agreed to organise a series of twelve activities to

mark the historic National Award, with special emphasis on assisting the less fortunate and giving thanks to God. The activities would be launched on Saturday 12th of March with a Religious Thanksgiving Service and Cocktail Reception at the ST. Francis Community Developers Conference Centre. Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo has been invited to be the special guest and to deliver the feature address.

The RHTYSC, M.S would like to publicly expressed its gratitude to the following companies, individuals and organisations for their support over the last 25 years: Bakewell, DDL, Pepsi, Farfan and Mendes, Metro Office Supplies, COURTS, Windies Sports Bar, Gizmos and Gadgets, GTT, Guyana Beverage Company, Edward B. Beharry, Sterling Products, Banks DIH Ltd, Ansa Mcal, Food for the Poor, HA Snacks Co. Ltd, De Sinco, John Fernandes Ltd, Bounty Farm Ltd, Impression, A.Ally and Sons, New GPC Inc, The Gift Centre, John Lewis Styles, Bank of Nova Scotia, Republic Bank, Demerara Bank, GBTI, Assuria Insurance, GTM, Hand in Hand Group of Companies, IPA Health Care, Tiger Sports, Trophy Stall, Lifetime Realty, Goodwood Racing Service, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Star Computer, Sentinel Security, Wood Pecker Sports, Western Union, Mings Product Service, Modern Optical Service, A.M Khan, Ricks and Sari Ltd, Universal DVD, King

Jewellery World, Crown Vibes, Brain Street.

Guyana Police Force, Guyana Defence Force, Namilco, CK Associates, Bissans, Pand P Insurance Brokers, F+H Printery, China Trading, Rapheal Real Estate, Cameron and Sheperd, Guyana Cricket Board, Berbice Cricket Board, Toucan Industries, Sueria Manufacturers, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Sports, National Sports Commission, Apex Insurance, Diamond Insurance, 4R Bearing, Len’s Craft, Obyssey Travel Service, Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce, NandPersaud Ltd, E-Networks, Bernice Mansell Foundation, Berbice Umpire Association, Carribbean Container Ltd, Benjamin Bakery, TCL, Special thanks were also extended to the entire business community of Rose Hall Town and the ancient county of Berbice.

On an individual basis, the RHTYSC would like to acknowledge the outstanding contribution of people like David Burgess, Jennifer Cipriani, Rajin Ganga, OnaiVancellos, Amanda Richards, Bert Sukhai, Chetram Singh, Carl Moore, Angela Haniff, Anil Beharry, Larry Wills, AvieLindee, Ravi Mangar, Sharda VeerenChand, Major General (R’td) Joe Singh, Patrick DeGroot, Anjulie Beharry – Strand, Allison Parker, Rhonda Johnson, Margaret Washington, Alicia De Abreau, Jimeel Davis, Leon Davis, Kent Vincent, Patrick Sukhall, Hakim Hack, Robert Selman,

Shameeza Yadram, Andrew King, Fizal Ally, Noreen Gaskin, Ramesh Suich, Natheeah Mendonca, Stanley Ming, Michelle Majors, Doris Lewis, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Christopher Jones, Clive Lloyd, Alstair Parris, Troy Cadogan, MSD Yusuf, Nigel Worrell, Carlton Joao, Vido Persaud, Jennifer Westford, Feroze Barakat, David Armogan, Basil Butcher, Bish Panday, Ronald Williams, Claude Raphael, Malcolm Peters, Leslie Amsterdam, Colin Bynoe, Louise Nero, Colin Elcock, Joseph Lewis, Frank Anthony, Former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Bessoondyal Singh, Trevor Bassoo, Alfred Mentore, Orin Battice, Kris Jagdeo, Roger Harper, Raymond Haniff, Vice President Khemraj Ramjattanm, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Minister Raphael Trotman, OD Samaroo, Sheik Mohammed, Christopher Jones among numerous others.

The RHTYSC, MS also salutes the outstanding contribution of its five Honorary Patrons to its development over the last twenty-five years – Late President Hugh Desmond Hoyte, June Mendes, Peter Ramsaroop, Beverly Harper and President David Granger.

The contribution of several overseas based Guyanese were also recognised by the RHTYSC and they may include Leslaine Lambert, Mortimer George, Martin Cort, Wazir Kudrath, Mughtaq Khan, Mary Gibson, (Continued on page 26)

Page 32

Kaieteur News

EBFA / STAG Senior League

Defending champs Grove Hi Tech trounce Herstelling Raiders

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Mackeson Mecca III Super Eight set -Royals, Pacesetters, Ravens advance

By Edison Jefford

Grove Hi Tech’s Denzil Crawford (#13) scores his second goal against Herstelling Raiders.

A first half double from Denzil Crawford set the platform for defending champions Grove Hi Tech to defeat Herstelling Raiders 4-1 in the opening match of the STAG sponsored East Bank Football Association (EBFA) Senior League on Sunday afternoon last at the Grove Playfield.

Grove, fielding a side primarily made up of Under-18 players, started the game scratchy but they found their range as the match progressed.

Herstelling Raiders in their second season at the senior level looked a more experienced unit from the last competition when they placed 7th out of eight teams.

However, the seasoned nature of the Grove players made the difference between the two sides as the match matured.

Herstelling stood firm in the first 30 minutes but could not

hold back the home team from taking control.

Denzil Crawford netted the first of his brace on the half hour, a shot that was partially blocked by Herstelling’s custodian and Captain Quazim Yussuf. With a minute to half time, Crawford was on target again as he beat Yussuf to his left again, the Herstelling defence was caught napping.

In the second half, Grove continued to dominate proceedings with Herstelling showing a few signs of brilliance which did not translate itself into goals. Second half substitute Kevin Dalton, who ended as the top goal scorer and MVP of the Under-17 League, showed his ability to score yet again with a well placed header in the 70th minute that further strengthened Grove’s hold on the match, 3-0.

Yussuf, a former National Un-

der-17 goalkeeper did not help his and his team’s cause as ordinary work saw a tame shot from Orson Francois sliding under his outstretched body and into the back of the nets with three minutes to full time as Grove took and unassailable 4-0 lead.

Herstelling were able to score a consolation goal in the penultimate minute of the match; Alwyn White sliding the ball into the back of the net despite the efforts of Trevor Jones to deny him after custodian Michael Matthews was beaten.

Matches will continue this Sunday at the same venue.

Agricola Red Triangle will square off with Diamond United in the feature match at 15:30hrs, opening play at 13:30hrs brings together Kruru Kururu Warriors and Soesdyke Falcons.

Letter to the Sports Editor

Devers was incorrect on Haniff’s double-century feat Dear Editor, Reference is made to Sean Devers article in the Kaieteurnews paper dated 2016-03-05 under the caption ‘Chanderpaul, Haniff hit unbeaten fifties’. In the said article, he referred to former national opening batsman Azeemul Haniff as being just one of two players with ‘inter-county’ 50 overs double centuries. He further wrote that Haniff made his feat against Essequibo at Bourda whilst playing for Demerara.

While Devers was correct to have acknowledged that Haniff made a double century in a 50 overs match; it was certainly not against Essequibo, neither did he made it whilst playing for Demerara in an inter-county match. Haniff’s double century was instead made

against Gunners, a club from Essequibo whilst playing for Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) of Demerara in a national inter-club cricket competition where both clubs had qualified from their respective counties.

Historically, there were several senior national interclub competitions involving the three counties including Bristol, S.N.Singh and Shapoorgi-Palongie among others. It was in one of those competitions though, that the two clubs met, whereby GCC had amassed over 400 runs in their 50 overs, including Haniff’s double century. I recall also that a club from the Pomeroon had also qualified in another national inter-club competition and again it was against GCC. Pomeroon were dismissed below a hundred batting first. There after the

Authorities felt that individual clubs emanating from Essequibo were not good enough to compete against the more accomplished clubs from both Demerara and Berbice following their poor results at the national level.

As a consequence, the county of Essequibo was allowed to play as Area Committees. The Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) has eight Area Committees; hence they played as a unit (each committee is strategically located and comprises of several clubs) instead of individual clubs.

Ironically however, this decision was short lived, since North Essequibo as one of the Area Committees began to dominate the national competitions and in the process was even voted the’ club’ of the year by the Guyana (Continued on page 25)

Linden’s Victory Valley Royals scraped past Berbice’s Rockers, while Pacesetters and Ravens had big wins Sunday night at Cliff Anderson’s Sports Hall to end the first round of the National Basketball Championships: Mackeson’s Road to Mecca III. Royals edged Rockers 7268 in the first of a triple-header with forward, Trevor Profitt scoring 21 points and 11 rebounds with five assists; forward Ron Beckles had a tripledouble with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists; Harold Adams had 14 points and eight rebounds.

Michael Bowen delivered a real scare for favorites, Royals when he landed four straight jumpers from beyond the arc, including one that put Rockers up 68-65 with just over a minute left to play in the final quarter of the game.

Bowen finished with a triple-double 17 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists while junior national forward, Neil Wills had 14 points and eight rebounds. Denson Fraser scored 12 points along with six rebounds and 10 assists.

The first game proved more competitive than expected. The other two games were routs, despite Eagles

threatening Pacesetters for three quarters. Pacesetters eventually pulled away 86-69 to put its name in the bag containing Guyana’s top eight clubs.

Junior national point guard, Nathan Saul on his Division I debut for Pacesetters scored 16 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished five assists. National senior guard, Travis Burnett scored 12 points and dished nine assists, while Randy Richardson had a doubledouble 11 points, 15 boards and six assists. Joslyn Crawford had 10 points and six rebounds.

For Eagles junior national standouts, Travis Belgrave and Kevin Higgins carried the team, which suggested a changing of the guard, with the promotion of lots of Under-23 players. Belgrave had a double-double 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Kevin Higgins scored 14 points, and retrieved 13 rebounds. Mark Wills had 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

The feature game was a stroll for Ravens that won 8352 against Fa l c o n s .

Lawrence Simon made a jumper to haul within one, 19-20 with six minutes to play before halftime, but Ravens responded strong with Darcel Harris rolling

back many years to find Jermaine Slater and Tyrone Hamid inside for easy points.

Ravens swiftly went up 28-19, ending the period on a 22-7 run for a 42-26 lead. The game was basically over as Ravens continued to play open court basketball in an uptempo offence, which was very impressive from the 2014 National Champions.

Guard, Dominic Vincente scored 19 points while Ryan Gullen had 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

Ryan Stephney had a doubledouble 15 points, 11 rebounds and five assists while the high-flying Hamid scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Lawrence Simon also rolled back some years to lead his team. The Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) President scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Dale Sauers scored 11 points with 12 rebounds and eight assists. Akeel Primo had 11 points and 15 rebounds.

The National Basketball Championships: Mackeson Road to Mecca III continues on Friday and Saturday with the Super Eight and Sunday with the Final Four at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall before the Finals on March 19 at the same venue.

2016 Dalchand Rambharose Inter-Secondary School U-15 Two-innings Cricket in Berbice

Campbell (110), Schultz (77) help Vryman’s Erven get better of Berbice High School The 2016 Dalchand Rambharose Inter-Secondary School Under-15 Two-innings Cricket Competition organised by the Berbice Cricket Board, continued recently with Vryman’s Erven Secondary School taking first innings points from Berbice High School in their drawn encounter.

In the match which was played at the Berbice High School ground in New Amsterdam, Vryman’s Erven took first strike, and, led by Solomon Schultz who made 77 (7 fours) and Nicholas Blake 37 managed to post 141 all out in their 1st innings. The two of them had put on 99 for the 6th wicket. Bowling for Berbice High School, offspinner Devindra Moses took 4 for 48, medium pacer Jason Rishiram 3 for 39 and pacer Jamal Sinclair 2 for 42.

Lindon Campbell

Solomon Schultz

When Berbice High replied, they could only muster 112 in their first innings with Joel Campbell topscoring with 44 and Alfred Demonick 18.

Bowling for Vryman’s Erven offspinner Travis Sinclair 5 for 20 and offspinner Aditya Budhoo 4 for 34.

When Vryman’s Erven batted for a second time, any thoughts that Berbice High had of bowling them out cheaply and effect a come

from behind victory, was thwarted almost singlehandedly by opening batsman Lindon Campbell who proceeded to blast a quick 110 (10 fours and 6 sixes) which together with 27 from Troy Caesar, saw Vryman’s Erven safely to 160 for 8 by the close of play.

Bowling for Berbice High, Devindra Moses took 6 for 65 to end with match bowling figures of 10 for 113.

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Kaieteur News

Page 33

One-foot Boxing to be launched Easter Saturday Linden resident Berbice-born Edmond Nelson is an amputee with a vision of doing something he claims has never been done before.

The 58-year-old describes himself as an inventor and a trail blazer whose dream is to see OneFoot Boxing become an International Sport.

According to Nelson, who lost his left leg two years ago due to an illness which prevents blood from reaching his foot, he was a talented Bantamweight Boxer at the Amateur level in early 1970s and one day he woke up with the idea of him continuing his Boxing career despite the lack of a leg.

“I want to show people that not having both legs should not prevent someone from living their dreams. That why I invented the Sport of One-Foot Boxing which is first ever such sport in the

world,” Nelson explained.

“I am the President and Coach of the One Foot Boxing Association and I have a meeting with Steve Ninvalle (President of the Guyana Boxing Association) tomorrow (today) to discus us being affiliated to GABA,” Nelson continued.

Nelson informed that the Association was formed since March 2015 and comprises six members, including himself who are all one- foot Boxers. The Boxers would train for three hours per day from Monday to Saturday but nobody knew because, according to him, he did not want anyone to steal the idea.

A year later, Nelson is in the process of registering his Association as a sports body and says while all

Den Amstel Mash Cup

Den Amstel and Eagles into semis; to face Uitvlugt and Pouderoyen tomorrow Host team Den Amstel and Eagles United booked the final two semi final spots with similar 1-0 wins when the final two quarter final matches of the Den Amstel Football Club Mash Cup 2016 were contested on Sunday night last.

The host team were pushed to the brink by a game Wales United FC with the winner coming deep into extra time.

Neither team were able to hit the network during regulation time, Wales to their credit taking the fight to the home team with multiple shots on goal early on.

Back and forth exchanges were the order of the night as neither team were prepared to give up any advantage in the final third. But it was the home team that finally broke the back of Wales defence with a goal in the second half of extra time by Kevaughn W a r d .

The opening game saw Eagles United of Stewartville recording a hard

Chris Macey fought win by the lone goal of that encounter against Bagotsville. It was scored by 15 year-old Chris Macey in the 68th minute of the 70 minute encounter.

Semi final play will be contested tomorrow at the same venue when Pouderoyen oppose Eagles from 19:00hrs to be followed

by Den Amstel against Uitvlugt Warriors. The respective winners will meet in the final on Sunday while the losers will contest the third place match.

Chato’s Hot Spot/Banks DIH pools competition set for April 10 Chato’s Hot Spot of Shell and Vlissengen Road Kitty will be hosting a pools competition on April 10 starting at 15:00 hrs.

The competition, which is being sponsored by Banks DIH, will see the winning player taking home a trophy and $30,000, runner up a trophy and $20,000, third place a trophy and $10,000; the fourth place finisher will receive a consolation prize.

Entrance fee is $1,000 and the competition is open to players countrywide.

of the one-legged fighters live in the Mining Town, they train both in Linden and in the City.

“For the last week or so we have been using the Andrew ‘Six Heads’ Lewis Gym in Albouystown to train. One-Foot Boxing is a special art and only a one foot person can Coach the Boxers so I will doing that (Coaching) since I have been doing shadow Boxing with one foot for close to two years now,” Nelson disclosed.

Exhibition bouts set for Linden The Association will be officially launched on Easter Saturday in Linden where exhibition bouts are scheduled to be held.

Nelson is confident that once this art form is published he will get calls from promoters in places like to USA to talk to him about making One Foot Boxing an International sport.

(Sean Devers)

One-Foot Boxer and President of the GOFBA Edmond Nelson

Page 34

Kaieteur News

Tuesday March 08, 2016

GTTA National Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championships concludes The curtains came down on the Guyana Table Tennis A s s o c i a t i o n ( G T TA ) National Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championship on Sunday at the National Gymnasium with the nation’s top junior and cadet players battling for national supremacy.

Kaysan Ninvalle was the stand out player with two

titles in the 11 and 13 years and under Boy’s category and one runner up in the 15 years and under group.

Nicholas Romain won the Boy’s 15 years and under title. The tenacious 10-yearold Ninvalle fought ‘tooth and nail’ to the appreciation of those gathered to win several keenly contested encounters including the title

matches.

Kyle Edghill upset the bookies when he emerge as the Boys 18 years and under champion with a 6 -1 record in the eight-player roundrobin finals format. His only defeat came against Elishaba Johnson.

Shemar Britton secured silver in the category with a similar 6-1 record. In the

head-to-head, he lost to eventual champion, Kyle Edghill in the final match of the evening, giving Edghill the national title. Miguel Wong secured bronze with Johnson fourth.

Selenas Jackman won the Girl’s 18 years and under title ahead of Neveah Clarkston and Aneka Phillips. Jackman also won

Kaysan Ninvalle (left) collects his trophy from Arron Fraser after his outstanding performance. the Girl’s 15 years and under title. Neveah Clarkston won the Girl’s 13 years and under title. Thuria Thomas emerged as the 2016 cadet 11 years and under champion when she secured gold ahead of Kasia Liverpool.

Colin Wong defeated Alexander De Abreu, Dhanesh Persaud and Kristian Sahadeo to emerge as the Champion.

Jonathan Van Lange took the Novices Category for males ahead of Sage Melville and Ravindra Mathura; Kiara Stall won the girls category ahead of Crystal Melville and Nickey Melville.

The tournament attracted over 150 entries with players coming from Corriverton, Northwest, Bartica and West Demerara.

GDF needle Pele; Buxton edge GFC The Guyana Defence Force needled Pele FC to jump ahead of them on the points table when round four of the STAG Elite League FINALE commenced on Sunday evening last at the Guyana Defence Force ground, Camp Ayangana.

A late first half strike from Alden Lawrence (42nd minute) was all that was needed for GDF to down Pele which played without the services of their main pillar, Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson as a result of a red card in their previous encounter.

The Pele side were further set back when another player, Kennard Simon drew a red card, effectively reducing the side by one and they were not able to neutralize the GDF advantage as they moved ahead of Pele by two clear points to six.

The opening match saw Buxton recording their first win of the season, an exciting 3-2 triumph over the Georgetown Football Club (GFC). Buxton took the lead in the 19th minute through Dillon Wright. Three minutes later, GFC equalized compliments of a Peter Parks strike as the

– FINALE

first half ended with the score locked. Seven minutes into the second half, GFC went ahead when Linden Pickett found the back of the nets.

The see-saw scoring continued ten minutes later when Buxton were able to sneak in the equalizer through a Tyrone Harper effort.

Wright put his cap on the game with his second goal of the match in the 79th minute.

The win for the East Coast based side saw them moving into sixth place behind Pele, same amount of points and matches, four.

GFC remain winless also after four matches.

Round four play will conclude tomorrow evening at the Tucville ground when Alpha and Bakewell Slingerz collide in the opening match at 18:30hrs with the main match between Fruta Conquerors and Monedderlust.

Tuesday March 08, 2016

Kaieteur News

GOA presents funds to Boxing Association, more still needed

President of the GOA, K.A. Juman Yassin (left) presents the funds to Sebert Blake in the presence of GBA head Steve Ninvalle.

The Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) has made good on its promise to support the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GBA) in its effort to get a three member team to the Olympic qualifying tournament in Buenos Aires Argentina from March 9 – 20.

President of the GBA Steve Ninvalle had told Kaieteur Sport that they were out over $2,200US to

cover accommodation for two of the team members.

Ninvalle had informed that the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) had promised funding for accommodation for one of the team, while the National Sports Commission (NSC) has given the air tickets for all three members.

Yesterday, President of the GOA, K.A. Juman

Ya s s i n p r e s e n t e d t h e US$1,100 to Sebert Blake in the presence of Ninvalle.

The team comprises of boxers Desmond Amsterdam and Dennis Thomas, with Sebert Blake as Manager/Coach.

Ninvalle is still hopeful of corporate intervention at this late hour to ensure the team travels to Argentina for this important event.

Laid to rest

Pallbearers transport the casket of the late national Netballer Angeline Dyer-McCarthy to the hearse at the Lyken Funeral Parlour yesterday.

The sporting fraternity was plunged into mourning on Tuesday last following the death of former national netballer, teacher and Petra Organisation member Angeline DyerM c C a r t y, w h o p a s s e d away, at the Woodlands

Hospital.

Dyer-McCarty was rushed to the medical institution last Sunday after complaining of feeling unwell and was subsequently ordered to be hospitalised for surgery, before she finally

succumbed.

She was laid to rest yesterday. A number of persons whose life she had touched including family, friends, members of the sport fraternity, media and school where she taught gathered to bid her farewell.

Page 35

Tennis star Sharapova says she failed drug test at Australian Open LOS ANGELES (Reuters) Former tennis world No.1 Maria Sharapova said on Monday that she failed a drug test at the Australian Open due to a substance she has been taking the last 10 years for health issues.

The 28-year-old Russian, a five-time grand slam champion, tested positive for meldonium, which is used to treat diabetes and low magnesium, and was only banned by the World AntiDoping Agency as of Jan. 1.

“I received a letter from the ITF (International Tennis Federation) saying that I had failed a drug test at the Australian Open … and I take full responsibility for it,” Sharapova told a news conference in a downtown Los Angeles hotel.

“For the past 10 years, I have been given a medicine called mildronate by my family doctor … and it also has another name of meldonium, which I did not know.

Russia’s Maria Sharapova (Reuters/Grigory Dukor) “It is very important for you to understand that for 10 years this medicine was not on WADA’s banned list and I had been legally taking the medicine. But on January the first, the rules have changed and meldonium became a prohibited substance.”

Meldonium is used to treat chest pain and heart attacks, but some researchers have linked it to increased athletic performance and endurance.

It is not approved in the United States but is available in Russia, Latvia and other countries in that region.

The stunning news came a day after Sharapova’s management team said she was going to make a “major announcement,” which had many speculating that she was going to announce her retirement from professional tennis.

“I made a huge mistake. I let my fans down and I let the sport down. I have been playing since the age of four a sport that I love so deeply,” said Sharapova, a teenage tennis prodigy who became the thirdy o u n g e s t Wi m b l e d o n (Continued on page 25)

t r o Sp

Mackeson Mecca III Super Eight set -Royals, Pacesetters, Ravens advance

Pacesetters national forward, Randy Richardson splits the defence in the paint for a classic finger roll Sunday night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

EBFA / STAG Senior League

Defending champs Grove Hi Tech trounce Herstelling Raiders

Kevin Dalton (#15) of Grove Hi Tech rises above the Herstelling Raiders defence to head the ball into the back of the nets for his side’s third goal.

Tennis star Sharapova says she failed drug test at Australian Open Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210